After the third day’s play at The Oval, England pacer Stuart Broad announced that the fifth Ashes Test would be his last, as he revealed his decision to retire from professional cricket, bringing the curtains down on a 17-year international career.
“Tomorrow or Monday will be my last game of cricket,” said Broad on Sky Sports Cricket after the third day’s play at the Oval on Saturday. “It has been a wonderful ride. A huge privilege to wear the Nottinghamshire and the England batch as much as I have. I am loving cricket as much as I ever had, It has been such a wonderful series to be a part of and I have always wanted to finish on the top. This series feels like one of the most enjoyable entertainment I’ve been a part of,”
While Broad has stated that he is retiring from cricket, the England and Wales Cricket (ECB) put out a statement stating that he has announced his retirement from Test cricket. “Stuart Broad has announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing an end to an illustrious 17-year international career,”
Broad, one of only two pacers to cross 600 Test wickets, along with James Anderson, also became only the third bowler with 150+ Test wickets in the Ashes during the Oval Test. He will finish his career as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.
Broad currently has 602 wickets in Test cricket and has the opportunity to add to his tally during Australia’s chase, In a career spanning 167 Tests, Broad has picked up eight five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket haul. He last played ODI cricket in 2016, finishing with 178 wickets while in 56 T20I matches, the last of which came in 2014, Broad picked up 65 wickets.
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“He has been a terrific bowler. His partnership with Jimmy Anderson will live on in memory. Anderson and Broad, I guess the whole decade that they played for England, really put in some fantastic performances. To take 600 wickets and play the number of Tests that he has takes a special kind of cricketer. My best wishes to him and congratulations on a fantastic career. I hope he gets to finish it off in the best possible way that he wants to,”
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