Stuart Broad interview: The veteran English seamer isn’t particularly pleased with his axing in the ongoing Southampton Test.
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“Very tough [conversation], but Stuart [Broad] took it as an absolute champion,” stand-in England captain Ben Stokes was quoted as saying during the toss of the ongoing Test against West Indies at the Ageas Bowl.
Broad, who hadn’t missed a home Test since 2012 taking his tally to 51 consecutive Test appearances at home, didn’t find a place in the Playing XI as the hosts chose to select the outright pace of Mark Wood over Broad’s swing and experience.
Speaking to Sky Sports before play began on Day 3, Broad admitted the last two days to be “tough” and revealed that the snub has brought him frustration and anger.
“I’m not a particularly emotional person but I’ve found the last couple of days quite tough. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement; you’re disappointed if you drop your phone and the screen breaks.
“I’m frustrated, angry and gutted. It’s difficult to understand. I’ve probably bowled the best I’ve ever bowled the last couple of years, I felt it was my shirt. I was in the team for the Ashes and going to South Africa and winning there,” Broad told Sky Sports.
Having picked 68 wickets in 20 Test matches at an average of 26.13 and a strike rate of 54.8, Broad has been England’s highest wicket-taker in the last two years.
Stuart Broad interview
Considering himself as a deserving candidate to play this Test, 34-year old Broad revealed calling national selector Ed Smith last night to seek a clarification with respect to his future.
“I spoke to Ed Smith [the national selector] last night, he said he was involved in picking the 13 and this side was picked purely for this pitch. I wanted clarification on my the future going forward and I was given pretty positive feedback going forward,” Broad said.
Not sour about his teammates, Broad opened up on each bowler deserving to play but the prospect of someone else playing for him didn’t appear to go down too well with the experienced player.
“You can’t argue the bowlers walking on that field don’t deserve to play. Everyone deserves to play. Chris Woakes, Sam Curran were bowling really well and probably deserve to be in the XI. It’s just annoying when it’s not you that’s in that XI. Very rarely do you get guys fit and available for each Test match. That’s where selection has been tricky.
“It’s great to see strength and depth in the fast bowling ranks. It’s the only way that England cricket moves forward and gets better. And with high competition in squads it keeps the standard high. Everyone is under pressure for their spots,” Broad added.
