Ryan Burl has been playing international cricket for four years. Although Ryan Burl is not a well-known name in international cricket, the Zimbabwean cricketer is well known in franchise cricket. He is regularly seen in BPL. He has played for Zimbabwe in all three formats, including the recently concluded series against Pakistan.
One such cricketer surprised the cricket world last night. Many were shocked to see He appealed for help on Twitter that describes the miseries faced by the Zimbabwe cricket team. But the tweet has shaken the cricket world. Burl found the sponsor within 17 hours of tweeting to find the sponsor of the cricket shoes.
The condition of Zimbabwe cricket has been very bad for the last few years. The country’s board is not getting talent due to corruption, irregularities, and racism. The situation is so bad that the cricketers do not get their proper salaries as well. But Burl’s tweet made it clear how much the team is in dire financial straits. The Zimbabwean all-rounder said on the day before yesterday that they had to take off their old shoes in every series.
Zimbabwe cricketers get ready for the next series by sticking glue on the sole of the shoe even after it is detached. In a frustrated tweet the day before yesterday, Burl’s plea was heard, “Is there a chance of getting a sponsor so that we don’t have to glue the shoes after each series?” Burl made a tweet with a photo of himself and his sneakers. The pictures showed how his sneakers from New Balance, a sports goods manufacturer, were glued together.
Burl tagged 3 New Balance Twitter accounts on Twitter. Hopefully, he thought the company might give new pair of shoes as he is already using them. Burl also tagged the International Association of International Cricketers (ICA). Many cricket fans have expressed regret over Burl’s appeal. Many have personally expressed a desire to be his sponsor.
However, Burl did not have to take the help of any person alone. Puma, another well-known sporting goods company, has seized the opportunity. Standing next to Burl, it also beat rival New Balance in the trade fight. In response to Burl’s tweet, Puma’s cricket account wrote, “It’s time to dump the glue, Burl. We are looking into your matter.”
In response to the tweet, Burl exclaimed, “I can’t wait to be Puma’s partner. Thank you so much for extending a helping hand. Shortly afterwards, Burl confirmed the news of Puma’s sponsorship saying, “I am proud to announce that I am joining Puma. This is possible because of the way the supporters have helped in the last 24 hours. I will be grateful to all of you. Thanks to Puma.”
Puma has set an excellent example for humanity with this incident. Some countries have promising cricket talents, but they cannot perform well as their cricket board’s financial conditions are unstable. ICC might play a big role as a helping hand to them.
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