Esteemed match referee Chris Broad has been forced to step down from his role after the ICC denied him an opportunity to continue.
The former England batter took up the role of a match referee 14 years after playing his last game for his country. He made his debut as a match referee during the New Zealand-Pakistan Test match in Hamilton in 2003, following which he emerged as one of the most reputable officials in the game.
He went on to officiate in 637 international matches, including 15 women’s T20Is, the third-most in the world and was three games away from overtaking second-placed Jeff Crowe’s tally. However, Broad revealed in an interview to Best Payout Online Slots, that the ICC were firm in their decision to remove him from their elite panel.
Initially asked about the decision of Brendon McCullum and Rob Key to ask James Anderson to retire, Broad opened up about his own experience and how he was asked to walk away. “Any employee is at the behest of the employer and Jimmy being 41 and the eyes are on the Ashes which is the biggest international fixture in cricket, he might be 42 or 43 by the time that comes around,” said Broad. “His fitness is fantastic but who knows what he’ll be like in two years time. You’ve got to have an eye for the future.
“I’m in a similar situation where I wanted to continue as an ICC referee but the powers that be have decided my time has come and I have to accept their decision and Jimmy has to accept Brendon McCullum’s decision but that doesn’t mean he’ll be lost to the game."
The 66-year-old oversaw the two T20Is between England and Pakistan in Birmingham and The Oval, recently, which drew a close to his illustrious career as a match referee.
Broad was reportedly rebuked by the ICC last year during the Ashes for posting an anti-David Warner meme on social media. Broad’s son Stuart had a stronghold over Warner, dismissing the batter 17 times in Test cricket, including twice at Headingley last year, which is when the senior Broad tweeted a meme. He later deleted the post after reportedly earning the ire of the governing body who told him it was unbecoming of his role. Broad was not the match referee during that series.
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