Broad is struck by fine after lightning comments

Broad felt players and fans were put in danger by the decision to keep the teams on the field while lightning struck close to the ZACS Stadium in Chittagong and considered leading his side off in protest.

He said on Saturday evening: “To be as polite as I possibly can be I think it was distinctly average decision-making keeping us on after the first lightning strike at the start of the fifth over, keeping us on throughout that.

“I asked the umpires for a bit of clarity on the decision-making at the end of the game and they said they didn’t see the lightning and didn’t think it was a threat; you can guarantee from our team we felt like it was a threat.

“With a batsman pulling away from a delivery after 4.2 overs I think the batsman saw it as well.

“At the end of the day it’s a game of cricket so I wouldn’t be putting the crowd and players’ safety under threat.”

Yesterday, the International Cricket Council said Broad had pleaded guilty to a Level 1 charge, having breached Article 2.1.7 of the ICC code of conduct for players and player support personnel.

That article relates to “public criticism of, or inappropriate comment in relation to an incident occurring in an international match or any player, player support personnel, match official or team participating in any international match”.

The thunderstorm ended England’s opening game of the tournament after 5.2 overs of the Black Caps’ pursuit of 173, giving New Zealand victory on Duckworth/Lewis, but several flashes of lightning had already been seen uncomfortably close to the ZACS Stadium.

Javagal Srinath, the match referee who sanctioned Broad, said in a statement released by the ICC: “Umpires are the final judges of the fitness of the ground, weather or light for play.

“Weather decisions are the most difficult to make, but the umpires make the best decision possible, taking all factors into account. Such public criticism is not good for the spirit of the game. Mutual respect between players, match officials and administrators is paramount to the game of cricket.”

However, Broad’s stance drew support from team-mate Michael Lumb.

“I think Stuart covered it in detail but, from a personal point of view, you don’t mess around with lightning,’’ the opener said yesterday morning, before the ICC decision to fine Broad was announced.

“There are lives at stake. It was literally right above us and it was pretty scary.

“It would have been a different story if we were waking up this morning talking about guys who were struck by lightning.

“If we were on a golf course, we’d probably have been taken off.

“It’s a serious thing and it’s not to be messed with. I’d have been quite happy to go off the field (earlier).’’

New Zealand seamer Kyle Mills agreed with the wider issue of safety taking precedence over a sporting contest, but did not feel any major errors had transpired.

“I think that’s probably a bit of a hindsight thing, isn’t it? If Stuart was on the other end of it, he would be more than happy with the decision,” he said.

“In cricket you win some and you lose some, the umpires are trying to make the decisions to the best of their ability.

“But at the end of the day, it’s just a game of cricket. Everyone could tell the thunder and lightning was relatively close to the ground and I think the right decision was made to take the players off. We’re here to win a World Cup but it’s just a game of cricket and lives are more important.”

Heading into the fifth over – the minimum needed to constitute a game – the Black Caps were three short of the D/L par at 31-1, losing further ground when Stuart Broad sent down successive dot balls. But with a theatrical sense of timing, Brendon McCullum swung the game in the space of four dramatic deliveries.

First he took a step down the track and flicked Broad for six over the leg-side, following up with a thick-edge for four.

Having pulled away with lightning flashing as Broad ran in, McCullum next hammered a full toss back down the ground for a maximum that took him to 16 not out in just six balls and put his side ahead of the rate.

Two more deliveries were possible before the covers were hurried on, New Zealand further extending their advantage as Kane Williamson (24no) took five runs off Chris Jordan.

Moeen Ali (36), Lumb (33) and Jos Buttler (32), had each contributed to a strong target of 172-6 from England.