CA investigates match referee Chris Broad for watching golf during international game

A casual tweet expressing his mood may land prominent match referee Chris Broad in a problem. Cricket Australia (CA) has written to the International Cricket Council (ICC) making them aware a tweet in which match referee Chris Broad posted during the first game of the ODI series versus South Africa last month. The post suggests that he was watching golf in the umpires room while officiating

It was a CA integrity unit staff who stumbled upon the image posted by Broad online where he admits to watching the Ryder Cup on his laptop during a One-Dayer at Centurion on 30th of September. Above the post he wrote, “Cricket? What cricket? #bbcrydercup”.

CA have not yet made a formal complaint but reportedly have brought the incident to the attention of ICC general manager Geoff Allardice and ICC’s senior manager of umpires and referees, Adrian Griffith.

The post by Stuart Broad’s father looks like a one which was meant for laughs but CA members were quite taken aback at the sight of the 59-year-old appearing to keep track of the action at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota with South Africa and Australia battling it out on the ground which appears in the background of the post.

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When contacted by the Sydney Morning Herald a CA spokesperson did not comment but questioned Broad’s behaviour that day at the Centurion. The match referee is the one who is appointed to watch the game and then make post match decisions on issues such as the behavioural sanctions. As it should be, Broad was watching the game from the same room as television umpire and Englishman Nigel Llong.

The ICC is yet to announce the match referees and umpires for Australia’s upcoming Test series against South Africa, which begins in Perth on November 3.