“I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong”
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
Australia opener Chris Rogers has admitted that he was naive, but had no idea he was doing anything wrong after his company was banned from selling hospitality packages for the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.
Rogers set up his company, Inside Edge Experience, with former Middlesex team-mate Tom Scollay. The company was allegedly offering “a unique and exclusive opportunity to attend the sold-out second Ashes Test”.
With Rogers’ company not having permission to sell the packages, Middlesex have withdrawn the tickets allocated to him and blamed the entire situation on a “misunderstanding”.
“It was an idea a friend and I came up with a little while back,” Rogers said. “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.”
Rogers reiterated that he wasn’t aware that he was doing anything wrong and conceded that he should have been more careful.
“I think that’s the word that’s come up,” he said. “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 company’s package included personal appearances from Rogers, as well as his Middlesex team-mates Steven Finn and Sam Robson, both of whom have played Test cricket for England.
“I told Cricket Australia I’d be involved (with personal appearances) very briefly,” Rogers said. “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.”