Former England pacer Stuart Broad opened up about the last Test of his career, which was also the last Ashes 2023 game. The lanky fast bowler explained how skipper Ben Stokes was all set to remove him from the attack before he finished the game.
Stuart Broad had a fairytale ending to his career in Test cricket. The lanky fast bowler was one of the main reasons why England drew the Ashes in 2023 and played a magnificent brand of cricket that was richly applauded by many.
After the end of Day 3 of the final Test against Australia, Stuart Broad surprised many when he announced his retirement and said that Day 5 would be his last day in cricket. The fast bowler had a sensational end to his career as he hit the last ball of his career with the bat for six and also took a wicket on the last ball he bowled.
England were on the cusp of winning the last game. They needed 50 runs to win but they weren’t able to take the last wicket. It was then Stuart Broad was introduced into the attack. However, he failed to take a wicket in the first few overs he bowled.
But in the additional over he got, Stuart Broad got the wicket of Alex Carey. He managed to take the outside edge of Alex Carey’s bat and ended his career on high. He also won a game for his team and got a hero ending.
Stuart Broad revealed how Ben Stokes was about to remove him from the attack to bring Mark Wood. He admitted that he knew it would be his last over in cricket and added that he got nervous. Speaking to SkySports, he explained:
“Stokesy said it was my last over and he was going to bring Mark Wood’s extra pace on to try and get the game done. I knew it would be my last over in professional cricket. I think I got two play and misses from the first five balls. I hadn’t thought about changing the bails but I felt a bit unlucky, saw the stumps and thought, ‘I’m going to change them again’.
“I did it, heard a bit of a cheer and started my walk back to my run-up. I had the realisation that this was my last-ever ball. I have to admit that my emotions got the better of me, my legs went like jelly. I started shaking them, thinking, ‘gosh, I have to get some feeling back.”
I loved every moment of walking off the field at The Oval, beating Australia in an Ashes Test – Stuart Broad
Stuart Broad added that he was delighted to walk off the field with a win under his belt. He mentioned that it was a perfect ending for him but also admitted that had they not won the game, it would’ve been devastating for him. He elaborated:
“I loved every moment of walking off the field at The Oval, beating Australia in an Ashes Test. Winning the Test was the biggest thing for me – the emotion of the crowd and winning the game. It would have been devastating for me to walk off for the final time having lost a Test to the Aussies. Walking off with the boxes behind us, seeing my mum, my dad, [partner] Mollie, [daughter] Annabella and friends, it just felt perfect.”
Stuart Broad played all five Tests and bagged 22 wickets at an average of 28.41. He ended as career as one of the greatest fast bowlers. The lanky pacer ended his career with 604 wickets to go with 20 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls in the match.
The post “Stokesy Said It Was My Last Over” – Stuart Broad On His Fairytale Ending In Tests appeared first on CricketAddictor.
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