Stuart Broad refused to walk away from controversy on day three of the first Test at Trent Bridge, even though criticism of his character may be deemed harsh.

Broad’s nick off Ashton Agar, which was caught by Michael Clarke at first slip, was so healthy that it’s not possible the England star didn’t know he’d hit it.

And although the circumstances were different, it brought comparisons to an incident involving his father, Chris Broad, during an England Test against Pakistan in Lahore back in 1987.

On that day, Broad senior, who is now a an ICC match official, refused to walk, despite being given out caught behind by umpire Shakeel Khan.

It took his captain Graham Gooch to walk down the wicket and tell him to get off the field.

Now serving as England’s batting coach, it’s fair to say Gooch may have felt a little tense in the player’s pavilion on Friday, when he watched another Broad stand his ground.

Fast bowling allrounder Broad received support from current and former players, with most pointing the finger of blame squarely at umpire Aleem Dar for missing the edge.

But even so, Broad must face the fact that in the eyes of many, his actions were against the spirit of the game in an incident that could set the tone for series.

Former Australian Test wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist was respected for being a walker and never waiting for the umpire’s decision if he knew he was out.

But there are few others who have taken that approach since the early days when cricket was still a gentleman’s game.

In the 2010-11 Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval, Michael Clarke tweeted an apology to England for not walking when obviously out.

A video review sent Clarke packing anyway, so no real damage was done, but the Australian batsman was still keen to clear the air.

Australian quick Peter Siddle was adamant there was no ill-feeling towards Broad, but time will tell whether tensions start to fester as back-to-back Ashes series roll on.

Broad’s actions raise an interesting question about dishonesty on the cricket field.

During the recent Champions Trophy tournament, West Indian keeper Denesh Ramdin received a two-match ban for claiming a catch he dropped.

Claiming dodgy catches seems a worse kind of cheating than not voluntarily admitting you’re out.

But it’s a blurred line, given in both instances, players are trying to pull the wool over the umpire’s eyes and see what they can get away with.