Chris Broad was told to ‘be lenient’ on Ganguly-led India:Ex-ICC referee claims he faced pressure to spare Men in Blue for slow over rate

Former ICC match referee Chris Broad has claimed he was once asked to “be lenient” to spare Sourav Ganguly-led India an over-rate fine during his tenure as an official. In an interview with The Telegraph, Broad said he received a call during a match in which India were behind the required over-rate. “India were three, four overs down at the end of a game so it constituted a fine,” he 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.” He added that a similar situation arose in the very next game. “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’,” Broad recalled. Broad’s contract as ICC referee wasn’t renewed Broad served as an ICC match referee from 2003 until February last year, overseeing 123 Tests, 361 ODIs and 138 T20Is- a total of 622 international matches. He said he was “happy to continue” in the role, but that his contract was not renewed by the ICC. “I dodged a lot of bullets, both politically and physically,” said Broad, who was caught up in the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore. “I look back and think 20 years is quite a long time to be doing that job. I’m pleased not to be travelling to certain parts of the world.” ‘To last 20 years in that politically active environment is a pretty good effort’ Broad also spoke about the challenges of maintaining integrity in a politically charged environment. “I was always someone who believed in right and wrong, and in certain parts of the world it’s a bit like the River Ganges- right and wrong are so far apart and there’s a lot of dirty water in between,” he said. “To last 20 years in that politically active environment is a pretty good effort.” During the 2023 Ashes, Broad was reportedly rebuked by the ICC for posting a meme about his son Stuart dismissing David Warner for the 17th time in Tests. “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,” Broad said. “But once he left, the management became a lot weaker. India got all the money and have now taken over the ICC. In many ways, I’m pleased I am not around because it’s a much more political position now than it ever has been.”