Edgbaston’s strengthened relationship with the subcontinent could pay off again – after club chief Colin Povey revealed he was in talks with an Indian firm over naming rights.

The Warwickshire CCC chief executive said he was already talking to a company from the emerging superpower – although he would not reveal names – before the stadium hosted the final.

While Mr Povey said it was far from concluded, he believes the way Indian fans took the stadium to their hearts during the Champions’ Trophy tournament will have aided the cause.

He said: “Immediately before the Champions’ Trophy we got quite a strong lead from an Indian business.

“We are still in discussion with them, and we have got a number of other leads we are managing.

“Over the last month we have been focused on the Champions’ Trophy but this has been a great opportunity for these guys to show the level of exposure we can offer.”

The value of a stadium naming deal was exhibited by Old Trafford in Lancashire this year, which agreed a deal worth close to £10 million to rename its headquarters Emirates Old Trafford.

Colin Povey
Colin Povey at Edgbaston

The Post reported in March that Birmingham City Council had performed a U-turn on a proposed £4 million deal to rename the Bears’ famous ground as the City of Birmingham Edgbaston Stadium.

Mr Povey, who was previously involved in a multi-million sponsorship deal with Liverpool FC while working for Carlsberg, said the search goes on for a firm willing to pay upwards of £500,000 a year, but it was key to find an appropriate brand.

He said: “It is quite difficult to do these deals because you are talking about an extended period of time and you have got to be comfortable that the brand you are dealing with shares the same values as you have.

“We wouldn’t sell the family silver if we didn’t think it was the right thing to do. It is important that we work with the right sort of people.”