All-time-great cricketer Glenn McGrath has reportedly been dumped from his commentary job with the ABC due to his ties to a gambling company.
The former fast bowler’s relationship with online bookmaker Bet365 cost him his spot on the national broadcaster’s radio team covering the upcoming Ashes, according to News Corp.
The Test great is believed to be the latest victim of the national broadcaster’s policy of employees not being allowed to have an association with a betting company.
The fast bowling great has an association with bet365 due to their support of the McGrath Foundation’s Pink Test in Sydney.
In 2022 fellow fast bowling great Mitchell Johnson slammed the ABC after he was forced to quit his radio position when he was blindsided by the news he’d broken the national broadcaster’s anti-gambling policy.
The former fast bowler walked away when the ABC told him he could not have any ongoing dealings with commercial gambling companies while he was on their books.
Johnson, who snared 313 Test wickets, was also employed by gambling agency Bet Nation.
Glenn McGrath and the ABC have parted ways
The cricket great had ties to a gambling company
McGrath took 563 Test wickets
The ABC’s policy is that employees are not allowed to have an association with a betting company
He believed at the time that he was on the wrong side of the ABC’s ‘moral compass’.
‘I have really enjoyed working with the team over recent seasons and was looking forward to doing it again,’ Johnson told the ABC.
‘There seems to be a lot of hypocrisy that goes with this rule. I don’t understand and you start to wonder about what you can and can’t say if you are calling for them [the ABC].
‘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.’
News Corp has reported that ABC managing director Hugh Marks got involved in deliberations but it was decided it was unfair to others if an allowance was made for McGrath.
Daily Mail has contacted the ABC for comment.
