"Australia may have always cast him as the villain" - Glenn McGrath pays tribute to Stuart Broad
Former Australian great Glenn McGrath has underlined that they will miss Stuart Broad as much as England will, given the respect he has garnered over the years. The 53-year-old highlighted that the veteran seamer also got the most fitting end to his career.
Broad, who announced his retirement from professional cricket after Day 3 of the Oval Test, finished with 604 wickets in 167 Tests. The right-arm seamer finished the match for England by taking the wicket off his final ball, dismissing keeper-batter Alex Carey. As a result, the English team managed to level the Ashes 2023 series 2-2.
In his column for the BBC, McGrath wrote:
"England are not going to be the only ones who will miss the retiring Stuart Broad. Australia may have always cast him as the villain but that is only because we respect him. Taking the final two wickets of the fifth Ashes Test to draw an incredible series is a fitting end for a bowler I cannot speak highly enough about."
The 124-Test veteran stated that Broad's numbers are a testament to his skill and longevity. He thinks that no current fast bowler apart from James Anderson can surpass his performances in the red-ball format.
"His phenomenal statistics - 604 wickets in 167 Tests - speak for themselves," McGrath added. "They are a testament to his mental desire, skill and longevity. In terms of us fast bowlers there is only his team-mate James Anderson ahead of him and no-one else is going to get close."
Broad reached the 600-wicket landmark in the 4th Ashes Test in Manchester when he dismissed Travis Head on Day 1. In his retirement speech, the Nottinghamshire seamer reasoned that he is content with the achievement throughout his Test career.
"He is a quality cricketer with bat and ball" - Glenn McGrath on Chris Woakes
McGrath also heaped praise on Chris Woakes for his all-round abilities and breaking Australia's resistance on Day 5 at the Oval. Interestingly, Woakes featured in only three out of five Tests, and took home, the 'Player of the Series' award. He scalped a total of 19 wickets, and provided valuable contributions with the bat as well.
McGrath added:
"Broad played his part of the final day but we should not forget Chris Woakes - another England player I have always admired. He is a quality cricketer with bat and ball. I don't think he bowled a bad ball in the three Tests he played and those performances were capped by his four wickets to break Australia's resistance."