“How can an Indian match referee get away” - ICC official’s brutal take on concussion sub controversy in IND vs ENG 2025 4th T20I
Renowned match referee Chris Broad has blamed the International Cricket Council (ICC) for leaning towards India amid the concussion substitute controversy. The match referee for the fourth T20I between India and England was former player Javagal Srinath, who approved Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute for Shivam Dube.
The right-arm pacer bowled his full quota of four overs, a role that Dube was unlikely to fulfill if he had been on the field for the second innings. The match referee's decision has received much criticism, but no official statement has been made regarding it.
England skipper Jos Buttler revealed during the toss at the Wankhede Stadium ahead of the fifth T20I that they are playing with 'four impact subs', taking a sly dig at the events that transpired in Pune. India used Dube as a bowling option in the series finale, and the all-rounder picked up two wickets, including that of Phil Salt off his very first delivery.
Chris Broad asserted the importance of independent match referees so that such situations can be avoided.
"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 extended his point through a comment on a post where Kevin Pietersen's opinion regarding the incident was displayed.
"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
Chris Broad is one of the most experienced match officials, having officiated 622 matches across formats. This is the third-most by a match-referee, with only Ranjan Madugalle, and Jeff Crowe ahead of the Englishman on the list.
ICC match referee Chris Broad officiated a T20I game between England and Pakistan in 2024
The policy of independent match officials had taken a backseat during the lockdown for obvious reasons. There has been a concrete effort to restore the same after the restrictions were lifted. But officials have had to oversee proceedings concerning their nation on select occasions.
Chris Broad himself was in the hot seat during England's home T20I series against Pakistan in 2024 ahead of the T20 World Cup.
The ICC is yet to issue any statement regarding Broad's criticism against them. However, the governing body had once reprimanded the senior match referee for posting a meme on Twitter after his son Stuart Broad had dismissed David Warner yet again during the 2023 Ashes.