Kevin Pietersen has told the England and Wales Cricket Board he will not promote betting while on duty as England’s specialist mentor. Pietersen signed a lucrative contract as a brand ambassador for an online gambling company this week.
The former England batter is contracted to work with Brendon McCullum’s white-ball team for around 150 days over the next 13 months until the conclusion of the 50-over World Cup co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Pietersen’s betting interests create a potential headache for his employers.
The ECB’s anti-corruption code bans participants from “directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging, facilitating or authorising 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 ECB does not take advertising revenue from gambling companies, has banned Hundred franchises from sponsorship deals with betting firms from next year and its regulations state that any counties accepting commercial gambling income must demonstrate that the proceeds are reinvested into infrastructure projects or community programmes.
All participants in cricket are also prohibited from betting, a rule that led to the England fast bowler Brydon Carse being given a 16-month ban – 13 of which were suspended – two years ago for placing 303 bets between 2017 and 2019.
Pietersen announced he is joining the Philippines-based Dafabet on Monday. The 46-year-old is understood to have reassured the ECB, however, that he will not promote Dafabet while on England duty, which given the extent of his commitments over the next year will prove restrictive.
While Pietersen is not travelling to Pakistan for a 50-over tri series also featuring Sri Lanka that starts next week, he will play a full part in the winter tours of Australia and South Africa, as well as all England’s domestic white-ball matches next summer leading into the World Cup.
The ECB previously had issues regarding McCullum’s betting interests after the then Test coach joined the Cyprus-based company 22bet as an ambassador three years ago. He went on to promote its Indian Premier League betting markets on Facebook and YouTube.
The ECB concluded that McCullum was not in breach of its anti-corruption code, although he opted to terminate his relationship with 22bet anyway. Unlike 22bet, which is licensed offshore in Curacao, Dafabet has a licence to operate in the UK.
