England pacer Stuart Broad hopes this year’s much-awaited Ashes series can match the cult levels attained by the famous 2005 series between the two sides while in one of the greatest Test series of all time from 18 years ago, England stunned the cricketing world by defeating an Australian team that seemed unbeatable.
England pacer Stuart Broad hopes this year’s much-awaited Ashes series can match the cult levels attained by the famous 2005 series between the two sides.
In one of the greatest Test series of all time from 18 years ago, England stunned the cricketing world by defeating an Australian team that seemed unbeatable. It was a result that not only caught the public’s interest but also greatly influenced an entire generation of upcoming cricket players.
“I feel like I’ve experienced so much Ashes cricket I can sit here and say ‘actually I want it to be a tight series’,”
Broad told in an interview with DailyMail.
“I want the game to grow and I want people to love Test cricket and the way the England team are playing. It’s fun and if kids watch it they will want to play.
“So, what would be better than to be coming here to the Oval at 2-2 with the Ashes on the line and all the intrigue that would come with it? How amazing would that be?”
Coincidentally, the last Ashes series held in England did end 2-2, thereby allowing Australia to keep the urn. Broad, however, made it clear that wishing for a close series did not imply that the ruthless edge that Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have been able to provide this England Test team should be diminished.
“That’s not me saying I want to lose games,’
Broad continued.
“I just want the whole series to grip the nation and inspire kids the way 2005 did. “I want our players to take positive options at all times and, if there’s a day we get bowled out for a hundred, it is what it is. As long as the next day, we come back with the same intent and become even more aggressive and entertain even more.”
England’s limited-overs performances were revolutionized in 2015 after the ODI World Cup when Eoin Morgan and Trevor Bayliss combined to change the way they played the game, forever. The Test side is undergoing similar change, if the results from the previous 12 months are any indication.
“The mindset of the group and what Baz [Brendon McCullum] has brought in is that the result is irrelevant,”
explained Broad.
“It’s entertainment we’re here for. And when you add that mindset, because there is so much talent in the group, the performances are really good.”
England has won 10 out of 12 Tests under McCullum-Stokes, all while playing an aggressive brand of high-flying cricket where they purposefully out bat opponents.
While the majority of the victories have come at home, England did manage to win an outstanding series in Pakistan apart from sharing the spoils with New Zealand. Broad, who is nearing the end of his career, is incredibly enthusiastic as he discusses England’s progress as a Test team.
“It’s been a breath of fresh air,” he said. “I’ve been so lucky to have experienced so much in my career, but for enjoyment and fun and turning up not knowing what each day will bring yet having a freshness to it has been unbelievable. I think the biggest compliment I can give is that part of me wishes I was 23. Part of me wishes I was learning my trade in this environment. I learned under Andy Flower who made me a pretty tough cricketer and a strong character. He made me deliver under pressure.
“But imagine being Harry Brook now and coming in with that freedom and backing? There will be lots of Test cricketers from the 90s wishing they’d had this sort of backing.”
Even though the scoreline may have been close on some occasions, Ashes matches recently haven’t been quite as closely contested. There have been a few blockbuster contests in isolation but as a series, 2023 is expected to be the biggest one in a while.
It’s not unexpected that anticipation for the Ashes series this year has reached new heights with Australia in fine form, undoubtedly boosted by their creditable performance in India earlier this year, and England playing the brand of cricket they are known for. Tactically too, this one is expected to be a clash of contrasts.
“It’s going to be a slight clash of styles and I’m fascinated to see how their bowling attack will defend against us,”
Broad said.
“And it will be interesting to see how their batters stay calm because we play so aggressively now. Will they be able to stick to their game plans and bubbles when we’re playing this style? That will be a test for them.
“I think it would be great for us if Australia try to take us on at our own game. If we can get them playing in a slightly different style they could make mistakes and that would be brilliant for us. Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Usman Khawaja are all guys who like to bat time and accumulate so if we can nibble away at them and just get them thinking Why are we not scoring quicker? Why are we not moving the game forward?’
It’s not just the batting that has been extremely aggressive from England under McCullum-Stokes. Field placements and bowling strategies have both been aggressive, with lots of unusual fields.
It is a role reversal of sorts from yesteryear when the Australian sides led by Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting used to play the game more quickly than other sides. Broad didn’t hesitate to lay down the challenge verbally.
“We leave Jack Leach’s mid-on and mid-off in all the time and Stokesey says ‘You’re not having them back. Let them keep hitting you”. And he’s probably got more caught mid-offs now than lbws so it’s playing on minds. I’d love Smith to dance down the track and sky one to mid-off early doors. That would be classic.”
The previous Ashes series, held in Australia, was a total mismatch as the hosts pocketed the five-match series 4-0. Broad said that particular series was not ‘real Ashes’ given the Covid cloud over it.
“Nothing was harsher than the last Ashes series,”
he said.
“But in my mind, I don’t class that as a real Ashes. The definition of Ashes cricket is an elite sport with lots of passion and players at the top of their game. Nothing about that series was high-level performance because of the Covid restrictions. The training facilities, the travel, not being able to socialize. I’ve written it off as a void series.’
The first of the five Test matches for the 2023 Ashes will take place at Edgbaston on June 16.