Former ICC official lays bare India’s influence in cricket officiating

Former ICC match referee Chris Broad has disclosed that he was once told to go easy on India regarding a slow-over rate penalty.

Broad, who officiated 622 men’s international matches across formats, shared the revelation in an interview with The Telegraph, calling it a striking example of India’s sway in the game.

The former England cricketer did not specifically mention the match, in which India were around four overs behind schedule and were on the verge of being penalised, but he received a phone call and was instructed to show leniency with 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, bring it down below the threshold,” Broad stated.

“The very next game, 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 served as the ICC match referee until February 2024, further shared that he was ‘very happy to carry on’, but his contract was not renewed by the apex body.

“I was very happy to carry on,” Broad remarked. “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’,” Broad continued.

The former referee then went on to claim that the management became ‘a lot weaker’ against India’s financial influence after the departure of former South Africa cricketer Vince van der Bijl as the ICC umpires manager.

“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 has now taken over the ICC, so in many ways,” he claimed.

“I’m pleased I’m not around because it’s a much more political position now than it ever has been,” Broad concluded.