Cricket Australia has been criticized for rejecting sponsorship from Alinta Energy while continuing to accept funds from Bet365.
Senator Matt Canavan of the Nationals criticized Cricket Australia on Twitter, calling them ‘hypocrites’ for retaining their connection with Bet365.
It occurred after cricket captain Pat Cummins expressed his worries about Atlinta Energy to the governing body’s CEO Nick Hockley and stated that he would not feature in promotional materials for one of Australia’s largest carbon emitters.
In this year’s Green Electricity Guide, Alinta Energy scored a dismal 2 out of 5 ratings due to their plan to continue burning coal until 2047, the local environmental damage they create, and their position as Australia’s seventh-largest polluter.
Cricket Australia (pictured: Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne) has been accused of hypocrisy for continuing to partner with gambling operator Bet365.
The charge was made by Nationals senator Matt Canavan (pictured) after Cricket Australia announced they would only renew their contract with Attinta Energy for one more season.
Cricket Australia disputed that the decision to cancel their agreement with Atlinta Energy was influenced by Pat Cummins’ reluctance to having the energy business as a sponsor.
Canavan posted a screenshot to Twitter on Wednesday of a Cricket Australia homepage describing their partnership with the gambling company Bet365.
Canavan noted in his piece, “The world is strange.”
“Company that provides millions of people with dependable energy: rejected.”
Welcome aboard, company that profits off of people’s gambling habits.
Bet365 has supported Cricket Australia since 2012, when the gambling company was founded.
In the twelve months preceding March of this year, it earned a remarkable $14.3 million before taxes, making it one of the most popular sports betting websites in Australia.
Canavan uploaded on Twitter a screenshot of a Cricket Australia homepage describing their partnership with the gambling company Bet365.
After cricket captain Pat Cummins (pictured) protested, Cricket Australia announced that its four-year partnership with Alinta’s will not be renewed for a fifth year.
In February, the lawmaker accused Cummins of practicing selective ethics by discontinuing sponsorship with a major Australian power firm and partnering with the Chinese PV manufacturing giant LONGi for his Cricket to Climate program.
Mr. Canavan stated, “If Pat Cummins wants to transform cricket into the morality police, I would have thought that the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights atrocities would need more attention than a power firm that helps keep the lights on for his T20 games.”
Canavan’s fury is despite the fact that his party, The Nationals, has in the past received huge sums of money from gaming firms, including Tabcorp and Crown Resorts.
Additionally, the Nationals have accepted contributions from cigarette and energy firms, including Alinta Energy.
Since 2012, Cricket Australia has had a partnership with the gambling company Bet365 (pictured: Alastair Cook in a Boxing Day test match versus Australia).
The four-year contract between Cricket Australia and Alinta will be renewed for only one more season.
I believe that the most evident and readily apparent aspect of our business is our partners. So I hope that when we consider who we want to associate with and who we want to invite into cricket, climate will be a top consideration,’ added Cummins.
When it comes to personal sponsorships, there are some firms that I would not want to identify myself with due to my personal beliefs.
When we receive funding for programs for junior cricket, grassroots cricket, or things for Australian fans, I feel a great responsibility to ensure that we are doing the right thing.