"I was clapping along and whistling for 24 hours" - Stuart Broad sheds light on his memories of playing at the Gabba
England veteran new-ball bowler Stuart Broad recalled his experience of playing at the Gabba ahead of the 2021-22 Ashes series at the same venue. Broad, who expects a hostile environment, is looking forward to the experience.
Broad was infamously on the receiving end of abuse from the fans during the first Test in Brisbane in the 2013-14 Ashes series. The right-arm seamer copped abuse from the crowd for not walking on his dismissal during England's leg in July 2013 as spectators referred to the veteran as a 'cheat'.
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However, Stuart Broad termed playing at the venue a sensational experience and revealing how catchy their tunes are. Broad stated, as quoted by nine.com.au:
"Whether the crowd are abusing you, singing, cheering, it doesn't matter. It's an amazing experience. I've had 20,000 people singing, 'Broady's a... you know,' but I enjoyed it. It's great fun. I was clapping along and whistling that for 24 hours."
Broad, who will play his 150th Test in Brisbane, is likely to share the new-ball duties with James Anderson. The 35-year-old delivered 11 overs in the practice game against the Lions in Brisbane, giving away only 15 runs.
"It feels like a very Australian ground" - Stuart Broad
Broad further claimed he can't wait to play at the venue and is ready to face whatever comes along with the experience. However, the veteran stated he would miss the Barmy Army, who won't be present in Australia. Broad said:
"Exciting, buzzing – even just having it mentioned then gives me butterflies in my stomach. It's what you train for, it's what you live for. Playing at the Gabba, for me, is one of the best cricketing experiences you can have. It has that same feeling as the Wanderers in South Africa. It feels like a very Australian ground – it's very pro-Australian. It will be even more so without the Barmy Army."
The visitors will already face an uphill challenge despite having their full-strength team. England haven't won at the Gabba since 1986 and faced heavy defeats on the last two encounters at the ground.