No action taken against Brendon McCullum after England Test coach promoted betting company on his social media and encouraged punters to bet on the IPL
- The promotion of the company by the England Test coach was investigated by the ECB
- Legal experts found that he broke no rules in his promotion of the gambling company
- Eyebrows were raised at Brendon McCullum’s social media posts
No action will be taken against England test coach Brendon McCullum after he promoted a betting company on his social media channels.
The ECB investigated whether the Kiwi had breached anti-corruption rules following Mail Sport’s revelation that he had encouraged gamblers to gamble on the IPL with 22Bet.
Legal experts investigated the matter and found that McCullum was not breaking any rules.
The ECB’s Anti-Corruption Code contains a clause that prohibits players, coaches and officials from ‘directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging, facilitating or authorizing any other party to to place a bet on the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of a match or competition’. The penalty is a one-year suspension.
However, the ECB later found that the clause does not prevent players or coaches from becoming brand ambassadors for gambling companies. Instead, it is aimed at protecting the sporting integrity of cricket matches themselves.
The ECB has found that Brendon McCullum did not break any rules in his promotion of the gambling company
The England Test coach posted promotional material for 22Bet on his social media channels
An ECB spokesperson said: ‘Discussions have been ongoing with Brendon over the past few days and the matter has been looked at from an employer’s and regulator’s perspective. We can confirm that no further action will be taken.” McCullum, 41, had raised eyebrows at his actions, which come at a time when the links between gambling and sports are under scrutiny.
Earlier this month, Premier League football clubs agreed to ban front-shirt sponsorship by betting firms from the 2025-26 season, although bookmakers can still sponsor sleeves and appear on LED signs.
Meanwhile, New England football coach and former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink recently severed ties with a gambling company banned from operating in Ukraine.
McCullum had joined Bet22 in January as an ambassador. He was featured in a number of online advertisements promoting their IPL markets and posted videos on Twitter and Facebook.
In one he said: ‘The IPL is coming up and I think all cricket fans are excited about this big event. My friends at 22Bet are ready to make your IPL experience even more fascinating. 22Bet India guarantees the best odds.’