Brendon McCullum cleared by England and Wales Cricket Board over betting advertisements

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has cleared Test head coach Brendon McCullum of any wrongdoing over his involvement with Cyprus-based betting company 22Bet. An ECB spokesperson confirmed that the former New Zealand skipper will face no action.

McCullum joined 22Bet, an online bookmaking company, as an ambassador in January and has appeared in its online advertisements. However, the ECB's anti-corruption unit prohibits players, coaches, and officials from partaking in or provoking betting on matches. The board looked at the matter from a regulatory and employer point of view and concluded that no action was required.

An ECB spokesperson said the following, as quoted by Sky Sports:

"Discussions have been ongoing with Brendon over the last few days, and the matter has been considered from an employer and regulator perspective. We can confirm that no further action will be taken."

Brendon McCullum's successful journey as England's coach

Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes have formed a formidable duo. (Credits: Getty)

Meanwhile, the former Kiwi cricketer has revived England's fortunes in Test cricket since taking charge in June 2022. The 41-year-old has encouraged them to play aggressively, an approach that has yielded impressive results. Before he came in as coach, England had won just one of their last 17 Tests, including series losses at home, in Australia and the West Indies.

However, under McCullum, they have lost only two out of their last 12 matches, headlined by a 0-3 series sweep in Pakistan and registering their highest successful run-chase of 378 in the format. The record-breaking run-chase came against a strong Indian bowling attack at Edgbaston.

England's next challenge is the Ashes series at home against Australia as they will aim to regain the urn, having not held it since 2015.

However, their red-ball season begins with a one-off Test against Ireland at Lord's, starting on June 1. The two sides faced off at the same venue four years ago as well, with the hosts winning by 143 runs after bowling Ireland out for 38 in the fourth innings.