Popular BBC broadcaster axed days before Ashes 2025 gets underway | Cricket | Sport
Australian cricket legend Glenn McGrath has been axed as a commentator by ABC due to his association with a betting firm. The iconic fast bowler, who claimed 563 wickets in 124 Test matches for Australia and was a regular thorn in England’s side during the Ashes, will not be part of ABC’s commentary team for the upcoming series.
Despite being featured in promotional material for ABC’s coverage, McGrath, 55, has been dropped on the eve of the series. However, fans can still hear him on BBC‘s Test Match Special.
In a statement to the Guardian, ABC said: “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.”
The decision follows McGrath’s impending partnership with betting behemoth Bet365. This isn’t the first time ABC has made such a move; they previously dropped former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson for similar reasons.
In 2022, Johnson voiced his disapproval of the decision, stating: “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.”
Despite this, McGrath will continue to play a significant role in the BBC’s Ashes coverage, which includes live radio commentary and highlights shows. He’ll be joining forces with Jonathan Agnew, Michael Vaughan, Simon Mann, Phil Tufnell, Alex Hartley and Jim Maxwell Down Under.
True to form, McGrath has forecasted a 5-0 victory for the home team. England haven’t clinched an Ashes series since 2015, having drawn two and lost two, and they haven’t won a test in Australia since the 2010/11 season.
“It’s very rare for me to make a prediction, isn’t it? And I can’t make a different one – 5-0,” McGrath shared on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I’m very confident with our team. When you’ve got Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon firing in their home conditions, it’s going to be pretty tough. Plus, that track record England have had, it’d be interesting to see if they can win a Test.”
