Chris Broad Exposes Political Pressure in Cricket
Former ICC match referee Chris Broad has claimed that he once got a phone call instructing him to go easy on India for a slow over-rate offence. In a conversation with The Telegraph, Broad said the episode showed how cricket politics influenced match decisions during his tenure as a referee.
He couldn’t recall the exact fixture or opponent, but the call came during the match when India were several overs behind the target rate.
“India were three, four overs down at the end of a game so it constituted a fine,” said Broad. “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 explained that India repeated the offence in the following game, and despite warnings, then-skipper Sourav Ganguly ignored the instructions to speed up play. He then had no choice but to enforce the penalty.
“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 added.
Broad Points to India’s Rising Clout in ICC
The former England batter, who refereed 123 Test matches, said the position of match officials has become more political over the years. According to him, India’s growing financial muscle has changed the power dynamics in world cricket, making the role far less independent.
“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,” Broad said.
Political Power and Cricket Governance
Chris Broad’s statement has renewed attention on India’s influence over ICC policies and disciplinary actions. Several former officials have previously raised concerns about how commercial power shapes decision-making. Broad’s remarks highlight how political interference has affected cricket’s rule enforcement for years.
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