Kevin Pietersen's Dafabet ambassador deal raises integrity questions for English cricket

Cricket figure Kevin Pietersen has been named global brand ambassador for the bookmaker Dafabet, a move that has prompted questions about integrity in the sport. Pietersen, a former England batsman and current specialist mentor for the national side, announced the partnership on his X account on Monday, saying the brand was about passion, energy and bringing people closer to the game.

The agreement has reportedly been brought to the attention of the England Cricket Board. Pietersen is said to have assured the ECB that he will not promote Dafabet while he is representing England. No official rule bars him from working with the Philippine-headquartered operator, though such deals generally face scrutiny. Contracts must clear Advertising Standards Authority age-appeal guidelines, ECB image rights approval and anti-corruption compliance checks designed to prevent any crossover with match integrity.

The ECB introduced a voluntary code of conduct for professional cricket in England last year. It rests on four pillars: maintaining cricket integrity, protecting vulnerable audiences, reinvesting in the sport and socially responsible coverage.

There is precedent for an England coach stepping back from a betting tie-up. Brendon McCullum ended his association with 22bet in April 2023, three months after becoming a brand ambassador for the Curacao-licensed operator. That deal had been cleared following an ECB investigation. Both 22bet and Dafabet are reportedly active in several markets where they hold no licence. According to the Blask Index, Dafabet has a sizable presence in India, Kuwait and Thailand, where betting on cricket is illegal. Dafabet does hold a UK licence.

Cricket has a history of gambling-related scandals, including the spot-fixing by Pakistan bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif on the 2010 tour of England, and the ban handed to current England bowler Brydon Carse for placing 303 bets on cricket matches between 2017 and 2019.

Dafabet is well known in British sport. It is currently the front-of-shirt sponsor of Scottish club Celtic and has previously sponsored English clubs including AFC Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Blackburn, Fulham, Sunderland, Norwich and Burnley. Its cricket partnerships have covered South Africa's men's and women's national teams, Cricket West Indies, and English clubs Middlesex, Durham and Sussex. With Pietersen barred in practice from promoting the brand during England duty, the commercial value of the deal may be reduced.