Former ICC match referee Chris Broad has made significant allegations against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), claiming that political influence was exerted to shield the Indian team from penalties during his tenure. Broad, who is also the father of retired England fast bowler Stuart Broad, detailed these assertions in a recent interview. He specifically reported receiving a direct phone call instructing him to be `lenient` and to find ways to excuse the Indian team, then captained by Sourav Ganguly, from a slow over-rate fine in one particular match.
Broad recounted an incident where India was three or four overs short at the end of a game, an offense that would normally trigger an automatic fine. Faced with what he described as pressure from the BCCI, Broad stated that he felt compelled to comply, manipulating the recorded elapsed time to bring the over-rate just below the fine threshold.
During the interview, Broad further argued that the sport has become considerably more politicized compared to his early days as an official. He suggested that with the BCCI acting as the main financial powerhouse in cricket, top leadership positions within the International Cricket Council (ICC) have become significantly more politically charged.
“India got all the money and have now taken over the ICC in many ways. I`m pleased I`m not around because it`s a much more political position now than it ever has been,” Broad was quoted telling The Telegraph.
Expanding on the slow over-rate episode, Broad explained how the phone call effectively coerced him into showing leniency towards Team India in a match under Sourav Ganguly`s captaincy. Interestingly, he contrasted this with another occasion involving Ganguly, where Broad maintained adherence to the rules and issued a penalty against 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 elaborated. He continued, “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`. So there were politics involved, right from the start. A lot of the guys now are either politically more savvy or just keeping the head below the parapet. I don`t know,” Broad revealed.
Chris Broad concluded his career as an ICC match referee in February 2024, having officiated a total of 123 Test matches, with his final assignment being in Colombo.
Topics Mentioned in this Article:
Sourav Ganguly, International Cricket Council, BCCI, Cricket
