'Warwickshire' cricket team to become 'Birmingham Bears'

Warwickshire have confirmed they will be known as the Birmingham Bears in next summer's T20 Blast tournament.



The county will still be known by their traditional name in both four-day and 50-over formats.

Bears chief executive Colin Povey told the club website: "Adopting the Birmingham Bears name presents a great opportunity to engage even more closely with fans at the heart of the city.

"Birmingham and Edgbaston has been the club's home since 1886."

He added: "Asian families, businessmen and women working in the city's commercial districts and local cricket clubs are three particular audiences the club is seeking to work with more next season."

Five of the Bears' T20 fixtures at Edgbaston will be played on Friday nights.

And Councillor Ian Ward, deputy leader of Birmingham City Council, added: "The Birmingham Bears T20 team is an incredibly exciting proposition that can unite sports fans across the city on Friday evenings next summer.

"The club and the redeveloped stadium provide so many great opportunities for the local communities to play and watch world-class cricket here in Birmingham, and I'm looking forward to seeing people get behind the Bears."