"It feels like the most anticipated Ashes since 2005" - Stuart Broad ahead of the 2023 series
Veteran England seamer Stuart Broad reckons the upcoming Ashes could be the most exciting one since the 2005 leg on English soil. The right-arm swing bowler believes it will be interesting to deploy an aggressive approach against Australia, which has worked out well for England over the past 18 months.
Having lost just two out of their last 12 Tests, England will back themselves to regain the urn they haven't held since 2015.
Ben Stokes and Co. lost only one out of their 10 home Tests last year, including a 3-0 clean sweep of New Zealand and achieving their highest successful run-chase (378) in the format, doing so against India at Edgbaston.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Broad revealed that the Ashes means a lot to both teams, given the history behind it, and expects the upcoming series to play out that way. The 36-year-old feels England will continue to play with the intent of entertaining the crowd and having fun, saying:
"It's going to be an incredible summer. In my mind, it feels like the most anticipated Ashes since 2005. And I think that's due to the style of cricket we've played over the last 10 months and the results we've had. It's one of the greatest series' you can play in.
"It's full of history and every player that steps on that field has got a lot of passion and drive to get the results. For us as a team though, with the style of cricket we're playing, we've quite openly said that we try to take the results out of it. That's going to be our style, whoever we play against. We're going to look to entertain and have fun - and it would be great to do that against Australia."
Among active bowlers, Broad has the most wickets in England-Australia Test matches. In 35 Tests, the veteran has taken 131 scalps at an average of 29.05, with eight fifers to his name. With 23 scalps, he was also the highest wicket-taker for England in the 2019 Ashes.
"Looking too far ahead drained me a little bit" - Stuart Broad
Speaking of the future, Stuart Broad has underlined that he is taking it one day at a time and the approach makes him feel fresh ahead of every series. Crediting Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum for the same, he added:
"To be honest, this time last year, I made a pledge to myself mentally that I would just attack each week - whether that's playing for Nottinghamshire or England. It has done wonders for me.
"It has made me feel energetic and fresh every week, have a new focus. For me, looking too far ahead drained me a little bit. I feel great, I feel fresh. That's what Stokesy and Baz have brought to me, personally - that entertainment and fun. I want it to be a really entertaining series."
The 2023 Ashes series will start on June 16 in Birmingham.