Former England cricketer Stuart Broad’s father Chris Broad, has revealed that the INternational Cricket Council once asked him to be lenient toward the Indian team after it fell behind on over-rate during an international match. Broad, who served as ICC match referee from 2003 until February 2024, said he complied with the request but the same issue resurfaced in the very next game despite repeated warnings.
Speaking to The Telegraph, he said, “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,”.
He added, “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,”
Broad also claimed that the ICC’s integrity has eroded over the years, with India enjoying the power positions. He said, “I think we were supported by Vince van der Bijl (ICC umpires manager) 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 so in many ways. I’m pleased I’m not around because it’s a much more political position now than it ever has been.”
Chris Broad reflects on long career
During his two-decade tenure, Broad oversaw 123 Tests, 361 ODIs, and 138 T20Is. Although eager to continue, his contract was not renewed by the ICC. Reflecting on his long career, Broad said he navigated politically active circumstances but is content with stepping away from certain challenges.
He said, “I was very happy to carry on, 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’.”
