Stuart Broad

Coming from a cricketing background, England fast bowler Stuart Broad has made a name of his own in world cricket. Son of Chris Broad, former England player and now a reputed ICC Match Referee, Stuart has been phenomenal with both bat and ball for the country, especially in Test cricket.  

Starting his career at Nottinghamshire, Broad went on to make rapid strides in County cricket to book his berth in the national side. He received his maiden cap during the limited-overs series against Pakistan in 2006. The 6'5" bowler also made his way into the England U-19 side.

Broad hogged all the limelight with his all-round performances against India in the 2007 series, where he struck a record 99-run partnership with Ravi Bopara for the eighth-wicket, and picked four wickets in the same match, guiding England to a narrow two-wicket win. Later, he walked back with the ‘Man of the Match' title. 

However, Broad’s dream start to white-ball career soon took a massive bump when Indian swashbuckler Yuvraj Singh smacked him for six sixes in an over during the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa. 

Many claimed that the pounding received at Durban at the hands of Yuvraj would shatter the confidence of young Broad. However, Broad displayed immense character during his debut Test series against Sri Lanka, through his hearty spells on sub-continental pitches. 

Subsequently, he went on to register impressive performances in the series against New Zealand and South Africa. His watershed moment in Test career came during the 2009 Ashes series.

At Headingley, he displayed a glimpse of his all-round prowesses with his 6/91 and a rapid 61 off 49 deliveries. During the Oval Test match, his five-wicket haul went on to break the backs of the Australian batting order. 

Broad went on to register his name on the Lord’s honour board after smashing a ton against Pakistan in 2010. The ton was a breakthrough moment in Broad’s career as it was his maiden ton (169) in any form of cricket. He came out to bat with England reeling at 102/7, and struck a record 332-run partnership with Jonathan Trott, helping England win the series. 

After a disappointing Ashes series in 2011, Broad remained out of contention in the white-ball series. But Broad was back in time just ahead of the Indian series. He displayed his all-round impact in the first test, with seven wickets and a classy 74 in the second innings.

He was also instrumental in England’s 3-1 win over India during the 2014 series, where he managed to pick up as many as 19 wickets, including the man of the match performance at Manchester, scalping 6/25. 

With Alastair Cook’s sabbatical, post-2013 Ashes series, Broad was named captain of the England side for the West Indies series and subsequent 2014 T20 World Cup.

That said, Broad did not have a memorable 2015 ODI World Cup in Australia. All English players were criticized after their humiliating exit from the coveted tournament, especially with the defeat at the hands of Bangladesh.

Under the new directorship of ECB and change in culture provoked by captain Eoin Morgan, the likes of Broad found it difficult to break into the white-ball setup.

Moreover, Broad will be fondly remembered in the years to come for his lethal spell at Headingley against Australia in 2015, where he picked 8 wickets for 15 runs. Thanks to his dream spell, Australia was bundled out for a paltry total 60. 

Pairing up with one of the greats of the game, the duo of Broad and James Anderson forged arguably the most lethal bowling partnership in world cricket. 

The two have clinched more than 1100 wickets in Test cricket. The sight of Anderson and Broad tearing down batting lineups around the world with the new ball, especially in the overcast, seamer-friendly conditions at home, has been a common phenomenon over the years. 

With 757 international wickets to his name, Broad has picked the tenth most dismissals in the game of cricket, second-most amongst active players after Anderson. 

One of the seasoned campaigners for England cricket with 143 caps, Broad has 514 scalps to his name in Test cricket, which is the fourth most currently amongst pacers. In white-ball cricket, Broad has 243 wickets to his name, thereby becoming the second-most successful bowler in the history of England cricket. 

Over the years, Broad time and again has proved that he’s more than handy with the bat, amassing almost 4000 runs in international cricket, with one century and thirteen half-centuries to his name, and a best of 169. 

Concentrating in only one-format since 2015, one would remain hopeful that Broad will shatter more records in the years to come, due to the extended longevity. By the time Broad retires, the 34-year old should aim to be highest wicket-taker for England, surpassing Anderson. Broad already is one of the most successful all-rounders produced by the Three Lions.