Chris Broad become only the second member of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC match referees to reach the 250-mark in One-Day Internationals when he took the field to officiate in the second ODI between South Africa and West Indies at the Wanderers in Johannesburg today.
Broad, a former left-handed opening batsman, played county cricket for Gloucestershire and Nottinghamshire, as well as first-class cricket in South Africa for the Orange Free State.
Broad was a mainstay in the England side in the mid-80s, representing his country in 25 Tests and 34 ODIs, in which he scored 1,661 and 1,361 runs, respectively. During an illustrious first-class career, he scored a total of 21,892 runs including 50 centuries.
Following his retirement and a brief stint as a commentator, the 57-year-old soon made the transition to refereeing and marked his debut in the first Test between New Zealand and Pakistan in Hamilton in December 2003. A month later, he made his ODI debut as a match referee in the same series in Auckland.
He was included in the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referee in 2004.
Speaking aboth the milestone, Broad said: "I have many happy memories in my career as a match referee and this is a huge honour for me to reach this landmark.
"As an ex-cricketer, to remain involved in a sport which has given me so much, I feel privileged to work alongside some outstanding match officials and retain a strong affiliation with the game I love."
Paying tribute to Broad on reaching his 250th ODI, ICC's Senior Umpires & Referees Manager, Vince Van Der Bijl, said: "Chris Broad is passionate about his role as ICC match referee and has always felt that it is the best job in the world. He officiates with a wealth of cricket experience behind him, with a straightforward, no-nonsense approach and has done sterling service for the game and the ICC. Congratulations Chris on this special milestone and thank you for your committed service."
List of match referees to have refereed in 150 or more ODIs:
Ranjan Madugalle 288
Chris Broad 250
Jeff Crowe 207
Roshan Mahanama 207
Javagal Srinath 150.
