Copyright timesnownews
Former England cricketer and match referee Chris Broad made shocking claims against the ICC and accused the apex body of bias in favour of India. Broad, in an explosive interview with the Telegraph, alleged that the ICC's top officials asked him to make exceptions for India during his stint as ICC match referee. Broad was one of the prominent match officials for the ICC, but stepped away from his role in 2024. The 67-year-old dropped a bombshell and said he was once asked not to fine India for slow overrate despite the team falling 3-4 overs short of the stipulated time. While he did not name the series or match, his remark hints that the said incident happened during Sourav Ganguly's tenure as captain in 2005. Broad revealed that the then-India captain Sourav Ganguly repeated the offence after which he was allowed to fine him. “India were three, four overs down at the end of a game so it constituted a fine,” Broad said. “I got a phone call saying, ‘Be lenient, find some time because it’s India’. So we had to find some time, brought it down below the threshold," Broad said. “So we had to find some time, brought it down below the threshold. The very next game, exactly the same thing happened. He [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, who officiated in 123 Tests, 361 ODIs, and 138 T20Is, was rebuked by the ICC after he shared a meme on David Warner during the Ashes, but it was never confirmed if that was the reason behind his snub. Broad claimed that India has taken over the ICC in many ways, and he is happy not to be around. “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 said. Greg Chappell Confirms Chris Broad's ClaimMeanwhile, former India coach Greg Chappell backed Broad's claim of BCCI's influence on ICC and said that former BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmia wanted Sourav Ganguly's ban reduced so that he could be available for the Sri Lanka tour. Ganguly was first fined by Broad after the third ODI against Pakistan in April 2005. This was followed by the six-match ban for the repeated offence in the same series, but his ban was reduced to four games. Ganguly was again fined by another match referee, Clive Lloyd, for his second over-rate offence in 12 months in September 2005. “Dalmiya offered to have his suspension reduced so that he could go to Sri Lanka at the start of my tenure,” Chappell told Sydney Morning Herald. “I said no, I don’t want to rort the system, he has to do his time. Dalmiya seemed OK for him to miss.”
