The Missing Media Kit and Publications of Cricket World Cups
Key Highlights :
The Cricket World Cup is one of the most popular sporting events in the world, and has been held every four years since 1975. As the tournament has evolved, so have the ways in which media and fans access information about the event. Official tour brochures and pre-event publications, which were used by the media and public before and during cricket World Cups, are now a thing of the past. Digital times notwithstanding, these publications and media kits will be missed.
Journalists covering the Cricket World Cup have traditionally been given a ‘kit’ containing a T-shirt, notepads, and even a large towel courtesy of a cola giant in 1996. At the 2019 World Cup, journalists even received a power bank. The Media Guide was always considered an essential item, as it provided journalists with all the information they needed including the World Cup schedule, touring squads with individual statistics, details of all venues, and telephone numbers of important people to contact. Carrying the event bag was also a matter of pride, as it provided an identity and opened doors.
In addition to the media kits, official or non-official brochures were also published for the public. These brochures provided concise, reasonably-priced publications for cricket fans to access information. Such brochures have been published for the first World Cup in 1975, sponsored by Prudential Assurance, and the Illustrated Weekly of India special cricket issue published before the second World Cup in 1979.
The 1987 World Cup, held in India and Pakistan, was particularly exciting for cricket enthusiasts. The official book was published by Reliance Industries, the tournament sponsors, and featured player profiles and articles by famous writers. The 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand also had an official souvenir called the Official Players’ Handbook.
Despite the convenience of the digital age, the media kits and official publications of the Cricket World Cup will be sorely missed. They provided an invaluable source of information for media and fans alike, and were also a source of pride for those carrying them. While the digital age has made accessing information easier, it cannot replace the nostalgia of these publications.
