Australian cricket legend Glenn McGrath has been dropped from ABC commentary duties due to his partnership with a major betting agency.
The former fast bowler had been listed as an ABC commentator for the Ashes series in promotional material as recently as last week.
The national broadcaster has a strict rule that prevents staff from having commercial partnerships with betting agencies.
McGrath’s management team informed the ABC of an upcoming partnership with the gambling company Bet365 before the decision was made.
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In a statement, an ABC spokesperson confirmed McGrath and the broadcaster had “mutually parted ways”.
“The ABC and Glenn McGrath have mutually parted ways for this Ashes. We look forward to seeing Glenn around the grounds throughout the series and would welcome working with him in the future. Our great commentary team, led by Jim Maxwell and Corbin Middlemas, is excited for the first test in Perth this Friday.”
Bet365 and McGrath were also contacted for comment.
Mitchell Johnson, another former Australian fast bowler, left the ABC due to his involvement with betting agencies in 2022.
Unlike McGrath, Johnson publicly criticised the decision and said at the time “you start to wonder about what you can and can’t say if you are calling for them”.
“It’s blown me away a little bit: do we have to make sure we have to align with the ABC’s moral compass? There’s nothing I can do about it … that’s the rule and I guess I’m not going to work with them,” Johnson said in 2022.
Australian gambling companies routinely partner with former professional athletes to build their association with sports and brand awareness.
A 2023 parliamentary report led by the late Labor MP, Peta Murphy, found “celebrity endorsements can be an effective way of marketing gambling because people are less likely to view something as risky if they trust the person promoting the product”.
Like many major Australian sporting codes, cricket has faced scrutiny for its links to the gambling industry.
Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja, who will compete in the Ashes, recently said the Albanese government had been “100% too slow” to ban gambling ads and must sever the link between the wagering and sport.
“If gambling is repeatedly being brought together with sport and athletes, showing you can’t watch sport without gambling, then it is a very, very dangerous precedent to set,” Khawaja said.
