The England Cricket Board (ECB) and representatives of England’s red-ball head coach have spoken about Brendon McCullum ties with bookmaker 22Bet India after his appearances in commercials sparked controversy in New Zealand.
Before Google removed the persistent Brendon McCullum advertisements on Tuesday, April 11, for breaking the rules, many social media users, particularly those who use Youtube, had complained about them.
Brendon McCullum association with the Cyprus-based business was made public six months after he was named England’s red-ball head coach.
The England and Wales Cricket Board issued the following statement regarding McCullum’s relationship with the bookmarker: “We are presently investigating the subject, and [are] in discussions with Brendon about his relationship with the Cypriot-based betting firm, 22Bet. We have gaming regulations in place, and we always work to make sure they are obeyed.
In accordance with the anti-corruption code of the ECB, “participants” are forbidden from “directly or indirectly enticing, persuading, encouraging or facilitating any other party to enter into a bet in relation to the result, progress, conduct, or any other aspect of any match or competition.”
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) in New Zealand received a formal complaint from the Problem Gambling Foundation. In regards to the complaint, the DIA eventually disclosed that the advertisements were somewhat deceptive because neither the New Zealand bookmaker nor the New Zealand DIA regulate them.
The Times Newspaper quoted Brendon McCullum agent, Simon Auteri, as saying, “We are speaking to the ECB about this. I won’t make any comments on anything. We are making progress.
In January, news of Brendon McCullum association with 22Bet surfaced after former Arsenal football club player Emmanuel Adebayor and former Brazil coach Julio Cesar were designated brand ambassadors for the bookmaker.
The ‘BazBall’ has transformed the sport, particularly Test cricket, and the English juggernaut currently appears unstoppable. England appeared hopeless prior to Robert Key, managing director of England Men’s Cricket, announcing McCullum’s employment; they had only won one of the previous 17 Test matches. McCullum and Stokes have pulled a rabbit out of their hats, winning 10 of their last 12 Test matches, for an 83.3% winning record. On Friday, June 16, the first Ashes Test is scheduled to start at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
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