According to reports from British media, the coach of the England Test team, Brendon McCullum, has found himself in trouble for his involvement with a betting and gambling company. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has reportedly had discussions with him about his role in the company.
Could McCullum be banned?
McCullum, who previously captained the New Zealand cricket team, joined 22Bet as an ambassador in January of this year. As part of his role, he has appeared in online advertisements for the company. However, this has caused concern among authorities such as the Problem Gambling Foundation.
The issue of betting and gambling in cricket has been a contentious one, with several high-profile cases of players being banned or fined for their involvement with bookmakers. The ECB has strict rules in place to prevent any such conflicts of interest, and it remains to be seen what action they will take in this case.
The BBC reported that the ECB had clarified that McCullum was not currently under investigation.
"We are exploring the matter and are in discussions with Brendon around his relationship with 22Bet. We have rules in place around gambling and will always seek to ensure these are followed."
Official code
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.
The code suggests such an offence would carry a minimum one-year period of "ineligibility".
Concerns over athletes involvement with betting companies
McCullum is described as an official ambassador for 22Bet India in the gambling company's promotional material. The former Black Caps captain had tweeted to his 500,000-plus followers in January promoting 22Bet, but it has since been deleted.
The situation also raises broader questions about the role of sportspeople in promoting products and services. While it is common for athletes to endorse products, there is a growing awareness of the need for greater scrutiny and transparency around such arrangements, particularly when it comes to industries such as gambling.
