Chris Rogers admits 'naivety' over corporate Ashes tickets
Friday 26 June 2015 17:43, UK
Australia opener Chris Rogers admits he has been 'naive' but did not realise he was doing anything wrong after the company that he co-founded was barred from selling hospitality packages for the Ashes Test at Lord’s.
Inside Edge Experience, run by Rogers and his former Middlesex colleague Tom Scollay, was reportedly offering what it described as "a unique and exclusive opportunity to attend the sold-out second Ashes Test".
The advertising for the package had disappeared from the company's LinkedIn page on Wednesday morning, while its Facebook page could not be found and its website brought up a page reading "Inside Edge Experience is currently under development".
Middlesex have now withdrawn the tickets allocated to Rogers – the county’s captain when not on international duty – blaming a "misunderstanding".
Cricket Australia, meanwhile, have backed their man, insisting he was open about what he had planned with them.
Rogers said: “It was an idea a friend and I came up with a little while back. All it was, was trying to provide a little bit of an experience in London for people who haven’t been here much before, and looking after them.
“It was for a very small group of people and I went about it in what I thought was the right way – turns out it probably wasn’t. I’ll learn a lesson but there wasn’t any attempt to deceive or anything like that.
“I’ll look back on it a little bit disappointed about how things turned out. I think I was open and honest with everything I did.”
Asked if he felt he had been ‘naive’ he said: “I think that’s the word that’s come up. Everyone I spoke with – and I spoke with everyone and told them what I was doing – none of them suggested I do it any other way.
“So I didn’t realise. I think I was supposed to go through the ECB but I went through Middlesex who are the people I know. I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong.
“It’s been frustrating – I haven’t been trying to do anything wrong. And it was something I was hoping to develop for (my career) after cricket, which is coming very soon. It’s been a bit of a distraction.
“I have a fantastic relationship with Middlesex. I think there has been a little bit of a misunderstanding. I have been open and honest with them about what I was doing from the very beginning. From the very early e-mails I told them what I was doing. Middlesex have been amazing for me and I have nothing but respect for their organisation.”
The corporate packages on offer from Inside Edge Experience included personal appearances from Rogers, plus Middlesex team-mates Steven Finn and Sam Robson, both of whom have played Test cricket for England.
Rogers added: “I told Cricket Australia I’d be involved (with personal appearances) very briefly. The others that would have been involved would have been the likes of Steven Finn and Sammy Robson who are our friends. We were trying to do the right thing – apologies if it’s come out badly.”
The first Investec Ashes Test is live from Cardiff on our dedicated Sky Sports Ashes channel from Wednesday July 8.
