Stuart Broad says his “love affair with the Ashes” and desperation to go out on top mean now is the perfect time for him to walk away from cricket.
Broad announced his retirement at stumps on day three of the ongoing Fifth Ashes Test at the Oval, bringing the curtain down on an incredible 17-year England career.
The 37-year-old is widely considered one of the country’s greatest cricketers of all-time, one of only five men, and two fast bowlers, to have taken 600 wickets in the history of Test cricket.
Many of Broad’s greatest performances have come in the Ashes, most famously his sensational spell of eight-for-15 on his home ground at Trent Bridge in 2015, and no player in Test history has taken more wickets against Australia.
“I knew deep down that I wanted to finish playing cricket at the very top,” Broad said. “I’ve had a love affair with the Ashes my whole life and the thought of being able to bowl my last ball and face my last ball against Australia fills me with joy.
“Ultimately, I’m in love with game, I still love playing the game, I love being in the changing room and I wanted to have those memories leaving the game. That will definitely make me stay in love with the game of cricket for the rest of my life.”
Broad is enjoying a superb series, defying expectation to play all five Tests and stand atop England’s wicket charts with 20 heading into Australia’s final innings at the Oval.
The Nottinghamshire bowler revealed that he made the decision to quit the game late on Friday evening, informing England captain Ben Stokes in his hotel room and then the rest of his teammates on arrival at the ground this morning.
“I walked in, shook [Stokes’] hand and said: ‘That’s me, thanks for everything you’ve done for me’,” Broad said. “One of the reasons that swung my decision was that I look around this changing room and I’ve played so much cricket with the people in this changing room and it still feels very much like my changing room.
“I’ve got great friends and great memories within that and I actually wanted to leave the game playing with a group of players that I’ve got so much respect for and two guys at the top in [Brendon McCullum] and Stokesy who have made the last 14 months of my career an absolute joy.”
Broad walked off the field at the end of day three unbeaten alongside long-time teammate James Anderson, with England currently 377 runs ahead and that pair set to resume their final wicket stand on Sunday morning, unless Stokes decides on an overnight declaration.
Anderson turns 41 on Sunday and there has been even more speculation over his future than Broad’s, with the seamer enduring a difficult series with the ball. However, Broad ruled out the possibility of twin retirements come the end of the game.
“Jimmy will carry on, definitely,” he said. “He is feeling ready good and fresh. There is a bit of break between this series and an India tour [in January, where he has got a fantastic record.
“I think it never felt quite right for the two of us to go together, we needed some crossover, not that that came into my decision-making.
"I was delighted to hear Jimmy will keep going and carry on. It's nice to know one half of that partnership will still within the changing room, until it gets passed over when Jimmy decides time's up.”
