England bowler Stuart Broad is to retire from cricket following the conclusion of this week’s Fifth Ashes Test.
Broad announced his decision immediately after the third day’s play at Kia Oval and will go down as one of England’s greatest ever cricketers.
The 37-year-old became just the fifth man in history to pass 600 Test wickets earlier in this summer’s series and only the second fast bowler to reach the landmark, after long-time teammate James Anderson.
The seamer has saved many of his best performances for Australia, including his famous career-best spell of eight-for-15 at Trent Bridge in 2015, and became England’s most prolific Ashes wicket-taker during the Fourth Test at Old Trafford, when his 149th scalp took him past Ian Botham’s record.
Broad made his Test debut in Sri Lanka in 2007 and is currently in the midst of his 167th Test, with his wickets tally at 602 and counting ahead of Australia’s second innings at the Oval.
Earlier in his career, Broad was also a regular part of England’s white-ball set-up, winning the T20 World Cup in 2010, but has focused on red-ball cricket since 2017.
"It's been a wonderful ride, a huge privilege to wear the Nottinghamshire and England badge as much as I have,” Broad told Sky Sports. "I'm loving cricket as much as I have. It's been a wonderful series to be part of and I've always wanted to finish at the top. This series just feels like it's been one of the most enjoyable and entertaining that I've been part of."
Broad has defied even his own expectations by featuring in all five Tests for a fifth consecutive home Ashes series, with England having not faced Australia here without the Nottinghamshire bowler since the famous 2005 series.
His 20 wickets in the current series are the most of any English bowler and he could yet finish as the overall leading wicket-taker, with Mitchell Starc currently heading the standings on 23.
There remains the chance for a grand send-off at the Oval this week, with England currently 377 runs ahead with one second-innings wicket in hand, Broad and Anderson set to resume batting on Sunday morning unless Ben Stokes decides on an overnight declaration.
Either way, with two days of play remaining, Australia face a daunting chase if they are to deny England the consolation of a 2-2 series draw and again miss out on a first outright victory in England since 2001.
