Former England cricketer Chris Broad has said that the International Cricket Council showed special treatment towards India during his tenure as match referee. Broad said he was once instructed over the phone to “be generous” when India fell behind in over-rates and was asked to pay a fine.
The former cricketer served as an ICC match referee from 2003 to February 2024. Broad umpired in 622 international games, including 123 Tests, 361 ODIs and 138 T20Is. He, who survived a terrorist attack in Lahore in 2009, had expressed interest in continuing in the post, but his contract was not renewed by the ICC.
Be generous, take some time out because this is India – Chris Broad
Speaking to The Telegraph, Chris Broad recalled an incident from his tenure as an ICC match referee. He revealed that he was once urged to stop India’s slow over rate during a match when they were several overs behind schedule.
Broad said the request came through a phone call made during the game, in which he was asked to “be generous” as it involved India. The 68-year-old accused the ICC of showing special treatment towards India.
“India were three, four overs behind at the end of the game so it’s a penalty,” Broad said. “I got a call saying, ‘Be generous, take some time out because this is India’. And it’s fine, fine. So we had to take some time out, get it down to the limit.”
Sourav Ganguly did not listen to anyone in a hurry – Chris Broad
Chris Broad said that India repeated the same crime of slow over rate in the next match. He said that Sourav Ganguly ignored his reminders, leaving him with no option but to impose the fine. Broad said political influence sometimes interferes with on-field decisions.
“The exact same thing happened in the very next game. That.” [Sourav Ganguly] I didn’t listen to anyone in my hurry, so I called and asked, ‘What do you want me to do now?’ And I was told, ‘Just do it.’ ‘So there was politics involved from the beginning. Many people are now either more politically savvy or keep their heads down. I don’t know,” Broad said.
India got all the money and now it has taken over the ICC – Chris Broad
The 68-year-old, whose last assignment as an ICC referee came in February 2024 in Colombo, said the role has become highly politicized over the years. He said India’s growing dominance and financial control in world cricket had weakened the independence of the ICC.
Broad said, “I think when Vince van der Bijl (ICC umpires manager) was in the position we had his support because he came from a cricket background, but after he left the management became quite weak. India got all the money and have now taken over the ICC in many ways. I am glad I am not here because now it is a more political situation than ever before.”
During the 2023 Ashes series, Chris reportedly faced criticism from the ICC after he shared a meme on X (formerly known as Twitter) celebrating his son Stuart dismissing Australian batsman David Warner for the 17th time in Test cricket.
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