Former ICC match referee Chris Broad has revealed that he was once asked to show leniency towards India over a slow over-rate penalty, highlighting the growing influence of the Indian cricket board in the sport’s administration.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Broad said he received a phone call during a match where India were several overs behind schedule, instructing him to “find some time” to avoid penalising the team.
“India were three, four overs down at the end of a game so it constituted a fine. I got a phone call saying, ‘be lenient, find some time because it’s India’. And it’s like, right, OK. So we had to find some time, brought it down below the threshold,” Broad recalled.
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He went on to share that a similar situation happened in the very next match involving Sourav Ganguly.
“The very next game, exactly the same thing happened. He [Sourav Ganguly] didn’t listen to any of the hurry-ups and so I phoned and said, ‘what do you want me to do now?’ and I was told ‘just do him’,” he added.
Broad, who oversaw 622 international matches during his two-decade career as an ICC match referee, served until February 2024.
He said he wanted to continue in the role but was surprised when his contract was not renewed.
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“I was very happy to carry on,” Broad said.
“But for 20 years, I dodged a lot of bullets, both politically and physically. I look back and I think, ‘you know, 20 years is quite a long time to be doing that job’.”
The 68-year-old also suggested that the ICC’s stance weakened after the departure of Vince van der Bijl, the former umpires manager, which allowed India’s financial power to exert greater influence.
“I think we were supported by Vince van der Bijl while he was in position because he came from a cricketing background, but once he left, the management became a lot weaker. India got all the money and have now taken over the ICC in many ways,” Broad said.
Reflecting on the current state of the game’s governance, Broad admitted he was relieved to no longer be involved.
“I’m pleased I’m not around because it’s a much more political position now than it ever has been,” he concluded.
