Friday, 3 August 2012:

Cricket Australia believe they can display sponsor Victoria Bitter's logo in the coming limited overs series in the United Arab Emirates despite the nation's tough laws on alcohol.

Australia play Afghanistan and Pakistan in four one-dayers and three T20 matches in the Middle East from August 25 but are confident they won't have to re-brand their uniforms.

The last time Australia played in the UAE, in 2009, they wore VB-branded jerseys, but since then the V8 Supercars championship has raced in Abu Dhabi twice with altered liveries on several cars to meet local regulations.

Holden's Jack Daniel's Racing and Ford's Jim Beam Racing were the teams most affected, having to re-spray their vehicles as well as ensure their teams and drivers didn't wear clothing with alcohol-related logos.

Several smaller logos on different team's vehicles and uniforms also had to be covered up or removed.

Formula One has also had to unload alcohol branding for the annual Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Renault dropping Flagman for Bank of Moscow in 2010.

But Cricket Australia public affairs general manager Peter Young doesn't think the team's main sponsor will be affected.

"As far as UAE is concerned our understanding is there's not an issue with VB branding," Young told AAP.

"We wore VB branding when we last played there in 2009 after doing all the normal checks we do before travelling. Our advice back then was it would be okay and it was.

"The current advice we have is that it's not an issue."

The news came as a surprise to V8 Supercars, who will race on the undercard to this year's F1 race in Abu Dhabi in November.

And while V8s would prefer to be able to run unaltered liveries and uniforms in the UAE, they will continue to follow the direction from the nation's government.

"We will take advice from the executive affairs authority in Abu Dhabi and follow their direction, as we have happily done in the past," V8 Supercars chief executive David Malone told AAP.

"We are comfortable with the guidelines of previous years with regard to alcohol in general and respecting the laws and customs of the country in which we are competing."

AAP