LONDON, (Reuters) – England fast bowler Stuart Broad needs a quiet word in his ear reminding him to respect umpires, former Test paceman Angus Fraser said on Friday.
Broad was forced to apologise to Australian umpire Rod Tucker after celebrating an lbw without turning around to see the offical’s decision during the first Test in Bangladesh — not the first time his on-field attitude has caused concern.
“I think Stuart has got to rein himself in a little bit,” Fraser, who took 177 wickets for England during a 10-year international career, told Reuters at the launch of an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) scheme to renovate local clubs.
“There were a few things in South Africa too which you look at from the outside and think ughhh? He has to just get on with it. But it’s all part of the learning process.
“It’s not easy, you are out there playing a high emotion game and sometimes you do things that you may regret later on. I think maybe he needs to be taken slightly to one side by the captain and told quietly look this is the way we do it.”
Broad, whose father Chris is a former England opener and now an ICC match referee, is a fiesty character on the field but his demeanour when decisions go against him has irked many in the game including former captain Michael Vaughan.
He was involved in controversy in South Africa and in another incident against Bangladesh he petulantly appealed to the umpire after bowling Mushfiqur Rahim as England chased victory. The previous ball he had a loud lbw appeal turned down.
Current captain Andrew Strauss said he would prefer Broad to channel all his efforts into taking more wickets.
“It’s hard for me to comment as I wasn’t there (in Bangladesh) but it’s something he needs to be aware of,” Strauss told reporters.
“He didn’t have any complaint from the match referee but it’s not a direction that you really want to go down because it could end up deflecting you from what you’re good at and doing your job properly.
“He certainly has to be a little bit careful but I think he understands the situation and I’m sure he’ll rein himself in.”
Fraser, who played when the umpire’s decision was final, said player dissent could further erode their authority now that the referral system is becoming widespread.
“Umpires are inevitably being undermined and they are not all powerful any more with players having the chance to challenge them,” he said. “That was never there in the past.
“I’m not a huge fan of referrals, but I must say it worked quite well over there (in South Africa). It’s not where we are at now that worries me it’s where we might be at in a few years time when every decision is being examined.