Indian Cricket Board Asks Sponsors To Remove Controversial Ads

The Indian Cricket Board has asked its sponsors "to withdraw a controversial advertisement that shows its' stars, including Sachin Tendulkar, recreating funeral scenes," according to Peter Lalor of THE AUSTRALIAN. In the commercial, Tendulkar, "clad in the white robes of mourning," appears carrying a funeral urn around a table as a family eats dinner. Yuvraj Singh, who just recently returned to the team after a battle with cancer, "digs a grave in the rain in front of a frightened child." The ads are supposed to promote "a new range of Sahara Group stores, which sells 'unadulterated' products." The Board of Control for Cricket in India wrote to its major sponsor Sahara saying it believed the ad was in "bad taste" and contravened its contractual agreements. The commercials have been withdrawn from TV in India and most websites (THE AUSTRALIAN, 8/23).