“Bias and corruption” - Match referee fumes at ICC for allowing Harshit Rana as concussion substitute

After India defeated England by 4-1 in the five-match T20I series with a 150-run win in the fifth T20I, ICC match referee Chris Broad took to X (formerly Twitter) to vent his frustration towards ICC for allowing bias and corruption in the fourth T20I.

In the fourth T20I in Pune, ICC match referee Javagal Srinath allowed India to replace Shivam Dube with Harshit Rana as a concussion substitute. However, this didn’t go down well with Sr. Broad. 

"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?," Broad posted on X.

https://x.com/ChrisBroad3/status/1885624298271859120 

In another tweet, Broad requested ICC for neutral match referees. 

“Absolutely agree. How can an Indian Match Referee get away with allowing this Indian replacement? Match officials should be independent to omit bias! (sic),” he wrote in reply to a tweet.

“Match referee should say he got that one wrong” - Kevin Pietersen

Former England dashing batter Kevin Pietersen wanted Javagal Srinath to admit his mistake for allowing bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana as a like-for-like replacement for batting all-rounder Shivam Dube.

"Concussion sub is quite the topic everywhere here atm and my view is...it was NEVER a like for like replacement and the match referee should just hold his hand up and say he got that one wrong. End of event for good," he tweeted.

In the fourth T20I, Shivam Dube was awarded the player of the match for his 53-run knock in 34 balls, accumulating seven fours and two sixes. After being hit on the helmet by Jamie Overton’s delivery, Harshit Rana came in as his concussion sub.

To make things interesting, Rana went on to scalp three wickets, conceding 33 runs in four overs. He scalped the wickets of Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, and Jamie Overton to turn the game upside down.

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