Renowned match referee Chris Broad has accused the International Cricket Council (ICC) of favouring India in the concussion substitute controversy. The match referee for the fourth T20I between India and England, Javagal Srinath, who is a former player, approved Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube.
Rana, a right-arm pacer, bowled his full quota of four overs, a task that Dube likely wouldn’t have been able to complete had he remained on the field for the second innings. The decision has drawn significant criticism, though no official statement has been issued regarding it.
Ahead of the fifth T20I at Wankhede Stadium, England captain Jos Buttler, while speaking at the toss, subtly commented on the situation, mentioning that they were playing with “four impact subs.” India later used Dube as a bowling option in the series finale, where he claimed two wickets, including one of Phil Salt off his first delivery.
Chris Broad emphasized the need for independent match referees to prevent such situations from arising.
“Independent match officials were brought in to stop situations like this! Why are the ICC returning to the ‘bad old days’ of bias and corruption?,” Chris Broad wrote on X.
He added to his point by commenting on a post featuring Kevin Pietersen’s view on the incident.
“Absolutely agree. How can an Indian Match Referee get away with allowing this Indian replacement? Match officials should be independent to omit bias!” he added.
ICC Match Referee Chris Broad Officiates 2024 T20I Between England and Pakistan
The policy of independent match officials was sidelined during the lockdown for obvious reasons, but efforts have been made to reinstate it after restrictions were lifted. However, in certain instances, officials have had to oversee matches involving their own country.
Chris Broad himself was in charge during England’s home T20I series against Pakistan in 2024, ahead of the T20 World Cup. The ICC has yet to comment on Broad’s criticism of them.
In the past, the governing body had reprimanded the senior match referee for sharing a meme on Twitter after his son, Stuart Broad, dismissed David Warner once again during the 2023 Ashes.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.