Former England pacer Stuart Broad spoke about the last Test of his career, which was also the last match of Ashes 2023. The lanky fast bowler explained how captain Ben Stokes was ready to take him out of the attack before the game was over .
Stuart Broad had a fairytale ending to his Test cricket career. The lanky fast bowler was one of the main reasons why England attracted the Ashes in 2023 and played a magnificent brand of cricket that was highly 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 when 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 almost won the last game. They needed 50 runs to win but could not take the last wicket. That’s when Stuart Broad came into the attack. However, he failed to take a wicket in the first few overs he bowled.
But in the extra he got, Stuart Broad got the wicket of Alex Carey. He managed to take the outside edge of Alex Carey’s bat and finished his run on top. He also won a match for his team and got a hero’s finish.
Stuart Broad revealed how Ben Stokes almost pulled him out of the attack to bring in Mark Wood. He admitted that he knew it would be his last cricket match and added that he got nervous. Speaking to SkySports, he explained:
“Stokesy said it was my last over and he was going to bring in the extra pace of Mark Wood to try and finish the game. I knew it would be my last match in professional cricket. I think I got two plays and misses on the first five balls. I hadn’t thought about changing the bails but I felt a bit unlucky, I saw the stumps and thought, ‘I’m going to change them again.’
“I did it, heard some cheer and started walking back to my race. I realized that this was my last dance. I have to admit that my emotions got the better of me, my legs turned like jelly. I started shaking them and thought, ‘God, I have to get the 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 if they hadn’t won the game, it would have been devastating for him. He elaborated:
“I loved every moment walking off the field at The Oval, beating Australia in an Ashes Test. Winning the test was the most important thing for me: the excitement of the public and winning the game. It would have been devastating for me to drop out for the last time after losing a Test to the Australians. Walking away with the boxes behind us, seeing my mom, my dad, [partner] Mollie, [daughter] “Annabella and her friends, it felt perfect.”
Broad Stuart He played all five Tests and bagged 22 wickets at an average of 28.41. He ended his career as one of the best fast bowlers. The lanky pacer finished his career with 604 wickets, besides 20 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls in the match.
