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England Cricket Team's Test coach Brendon McCullum is on soup over association with an online betting company 22Bet as England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is exploring to probe allegations against the former New Zealand skipper. However, it has been learnt that ECB had clarified that McCullum was not currently under investigation.
The British media has reported that the English Cricket Board is talking to McCullum over his role. McCullum joined 22Bet, a Cyprus-registered online bookmaking company, as an ambassador in January and has appeared in online advertisements.
“We are exploring the matter and are in discussions with Brendon around his relationship with 22Bet,” the ECB told the BBC on Thursday.
“We have rules in place around gambling and will always seek to ensure these are followed,” ECB added.
The ECB’s anti-discrimination code says “directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging, facilitating or authorising any other party to enter into a bet about the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any match or competition” is an offence.
McCullum’s association with the betting and gambling company started before he became England's Test coach last year but he has been seen in the betting company’s recent YouTube adverts around Indian Premier League 2023.
“We are speaking to the ECB about this. I am not going to comment on anything. We are working through it,” McCullum’s agent Simon Auteri told the Times newspaper.
McCullum has helped England emerge victorious in 10 of 12 Test matches since he became England's coach in May 2022. England are slated to play a four-day Test against Ireland at Lord's from June 1 before they head on for the five-match Ashes series against Australia which is scheduled to kick off from June 16.
