"I see my No. 1 job as changing the momentum of cricket games" - Stuart Broad ahead of 2023 Ashes
Senior England seamer Stuart Broad has stated that he judges himself on how well can he swing the momentum his side's way instead of solely on wickets. The right-arm bowler revealed that entertaining the fans carries weightage for them more than the result.
England haven't held the urn since 2015 and have lost two out of the last three Ashes series. However, their form in the last 18-20 months has given them optimism of beating Australia. Ben Stokes and co. have lost only two out of their last 12 Tests.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, Broad stated that he takes pride in changing the momentum towards England in any way possible.
"I see my No. 1 job as changing the momentum of cricket games. I don't really care if that's one wicket or eight wickets. If I can change the momentum of that day by getting the crowd going, lifting the Barmy Army, giving my team-mates more energy, that is all I judge myself on. The older I've got I definitely know what to look out for. A lot of cricket is knowing when conditions are in your favour and that is your time to strike."
With England playing aggressively in red-ball cricket in the last 12 months, the 36-year-old said they hope to continue it and inspire the next generation. He added:
"Our No 1 goal is entertainment. Of course, winning is vitally important but if we can get kids in the park wanting to play the style of cricket we are playing that is ultimately more important than the result. You can still inspire the next generation with your style, even if you lose - but we have a genuine belief that if we commit to our style we will win the series and that would be very special to be a part of."
The veteran has been in stupendous form in the last few months, taking 15 wickets in the last four County Championship games.
"We are very hungry as a group to lift the urn" - Stuart Broad
While the Nottinghamshire seamer acknowledged the hunger within the group to lift the urn, Stuart Broad underlined the need to stay in the present. he stated:
"We are very hungry as a group to lift the urn again but that is a long way away. One of Baz's sayings is 'be where your feet are' which means live in the moment and if you attack that day right everything will look after itself."
England will start their summer against Ireland and have also named their eleven for that.