England fast bowler Stuart Broad will retire from cricket at the end of the Ashes series against Australia.
The 37-year-old, who is England’s second-highest Test-wicket taker with 602 victims in 167 matches, made the announcement on Saturday.
While Broad enjoyed considerable success in the longer format, his career in T20Is and ODIs was not as memorable. Especially during the 2007 T20 World Cup, when he became the first bowler in history to be hit for six sixes in an over.
On September 19, 2007, at Kingsmead, he smashed six sixes in a single over of Stuart Broad.
Broad was only in his second year in international cricket when Yuvraj famously took him apart in Durban.
Broad was dispatched for six sixes in the 19th over of India’s innings as Yuvraj raced to his fifty off just 12 balls.
Sixteen years have passed since the episode, but Broad insisted that it was a vital moment in his career.
“Yeah, it was obviously a pretty tough day. What would I have been: 21, 22? [22] I learned loads. I pretty much based a whole mental routine through that experience knowing that I was left very short as an international performer in that moment. I’d rushed my preparation. I didn’t have any sort of pre-ball routine. I didn’t have any focus, particularly, and I started building my ‘warrior mode’ that I call it after that experience,” Broad said in the press conference.
“Ultimately, of course, I wish that didn’t happen. I think what helped me was it was a dead rubber, so it didn’t feel like I’d knocked us out of the World Cup or something. But I think it steeled me up to make me the competitor I am to this day and has driven me forward a huge amount,” Broad added.
Going through ups and downs
According to Broad, players go through ups and downs in their careers but what is important is how they deal with the bad days and setbacks.
Citing Ben Stokes as a prime example, he said, “You obviously go through massive peaks and troughs and when you look at someone like Stokesy’s career, he’s done that sort of thing as well. Most players have.”
“But ultimately I think it’s that bounce-back ability and that ability to be able to put poor days behind you because certainly one thing over the past whatever – 15, 16 years – you have a lot more bad days than good days in cricket so you have to be able to deal with them to make sure your good days can flourish,” Broad concluded.
Broad on playing against Australia
Broad, who made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2007, will go down as one of the great pacers in the sport – he sits at fifth on the all-time list of wicket-takers, and is one of only two fast bowlers to take over 600 wickets, alongside long-time bowling partner Jimmy Anderson.
Broad has bagged With 151 wickets in the Ashes, the most by any English bowler. His finest hour in Test cricket came against his arch-rivals Australia when put himself in cricketing folklore with a stunning 8/15 at Trent Bridge in 2015.
“I’ve loved the battles with Australia that have come my way personally, and the team’s way. I’ve got a love affair with Ashes cricket, and I think I wanted my last bat and bowl to be on Ashes cricket,” he said.
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