ICC accused of 'bias and corruption' over concussion substitute controversy
What's the story
The recently-concluded T20I series between India and England, which the Men in Blue won 4-1, was marred by a row over concussion substitute. Chris Broad, a respected International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee, has alleged "bias and corruption" on the part of the governing body. The row started during the fourth T20I when India used pacer Harshit Rana as a replacement for all-rounder Shivam Dube.
Neutrality demand
Broad calls for neutral match referees in ICC games
Broad took to social media to express his concerns, questioning ICC's decision to appoint an Indian match referee, Javagal Srinath, for the controversial game. He implied independent officials were brought in to avoid such situations and slammed ICC for returning to "the bad old days" of bias and corruption. Broad also pushed for a neutral match referee in future games.
Ongoing controversy
Pietersen and Gavaskar join the debate
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen also weighed in on the controversy, saying Srinath should admit his mistake of allowing Rana as a like-for-like replacement for Dube. Meanwhile, Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar slammed India's head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav in his Telegraph column. He said Dube wasn't concussed and hence, the decision to use a concussion substitute was wrong.
Rule critique
Gavaskar questions 'like-for-like' substitution rule
Gavaskar further questioned the "like-for-like" substitution rule, saying there was no such similarity between Dube and Rana. He said England had every reason to feel aggrieved by this decision. Gavaskar also slammed the concussion substitute rule as one of the worst in cricket, saying it tarnishes victories and needs reassessment.
Match impact
Rana's performance and India's series victory
Controversy aside, Rana contributed massively to India's win in the fourth T20I. He sent back three important England batsmen, enabling India to defend their score of 181 and take a lead in the series. His performance was instrumental in India's eventual 4-1 series victory over England. But the argument over concussion substitutes continues to mar these achievements.