Cricket Australia promotes tobacco, faces action

New Delhi: Cricket Australia is under fire for the boundary line advertising featuring "Kamla Pasand" during the matches between India and Australia as the product involves tobacco.

Following complaints that "Kamla Pasand" is a product by a company that also produces chewing tobacco, the Australian Federal Health Department launched an investigation into the boundary line advertisements in Hindi during the Test series, Twenty20 matches and the first ODI of the tri-series.

The News.com.au quoted Australian Health Minister Tanya Plibersek as saying that Cricket Australia could be fined up to $66,000 for each breach of the 1992 tobacco advertising ban.

Kamla Pasand, a product by a company also making chewing tobacco, was advertised during the India-Australia matches.

"The Gillard Government has received a number of complaints alleging that advertisements for tobacco products have been displayed at cricket grounds. The Government is taking the allegations very seriously and has written to Cricket Australia seeking detailed information about the advertising," Plibersek said.

Cricket Australia had withdrawn the ads during the first Test match at Melbourne, but Kamla Pasand labelled boundary ropes were back after the Indian High Commission reportedly assured the cricket board that the product was mouth-wash.

Cricket Australia had sought a translation of the ads and was informed that it meant: "Kamla likes fragrant Chaini mouth freshener".

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