Tue Oct 28 08:58:46 UTC 2025: ## Former ICC Referee Chris Broad Accuses BCCI of Political Interference, Protecting Indian Team

[City, Date] – Former ICC match referee Chris Broad has made explosive allegations against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), claiming that the powerful cricket body wielded undue political influence during his tenure to protect the Indian team from penalties.

In a recent interview with the Telegraph, Broad, the father of retired England cricketer Stuart Broad, detailed an incident where he received a direct phone call instructing him to be lenient and avoid fining the Indian team for a slow over-rate. He alleges that the team, captained at the time by Sourav Ganguly, was three or four overs behind, warranting an automatic fine.

“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, brought it down below the threshold,” Broad stated.

The former referee claims he was pressured to manipulate the elapsed time to avoid the penalty. However, he also noted an instance where he penalized the Indian team under Ganguly’s leadership, demonstrating inconsistency in the directives he received.

Broad further alleges that the sport has become increasingly political, particularly due to the BCCI’s financial dominance. He claims that this financial power has led to political pressure on key positions within the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“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.

While Broad refrained from providing specific details beyond the over-rate incident, his accusations raise serious questions about the fairness and integrity of cricket officiating. Broad served as an ICC match referee for 123 Tests, with his last match being in February 2024. The ICC and BCCI have yet to comment on these allegations.

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