"No anxiety leading into this one for me" - Stuart Broad ahead of 2023 Ashes series
Veteran England seamer Stuart Broad has underlined that he has no anxiety leading into the upcoming Ashes series. The 36-year-old stated that he trusts his history of delivering in the Ashes and is equally confident this time around.
Broad, set to share the new ball with James Anderson in the Ashes, has had a fantastic start to the summer. The veteran seamer took six wickets in England's 10-wicket victory over Ireland at Lord's, including a fifer in the first innings.
In his column for the Daily Mail, Broad asserted that he wants to have an impact on the series and is confident in his ability to deliver for his side when needed.
"Your first Ashes series comes with an inevitable bag of nerves, but there will be no anxiety leading into this one for me," he wrote. "I’ve experienced everything in the game and have a confidence in my ability which means that if I don’t deliver in one day, I will the next."
"I want to have an impact on the series, absolutely, but it doesn’t matter if it’s the first, third or fifth Test match," he added. "I have a history of pretty good performances later in Ashes series and I have a real trust in what the hierarchy are doing, so I will play whenever needed, confident I will do the job required."
The Nottinghamshire seamer has the most wickets in the Ashes among the current crop, taking 131 scalps in 35 matches at 29.05.
"It was a pretty good one for both of us" - Stuart Broad on his fifer and Ollie Pope's double-hundred against Ireland
Reflecting on Ollie Pope's maiden Test double-ton against Ireland, Broad opened up on his conversation with the Surrey batter, saying:
"During this week’s Test match against Ireland, I was sat next to Ollie Pope in the changing room, we claimed a corner and we said before the start: ‘Come on then corner, let's have a great week.' It was a pretty good one for both of us, with my five wickets and his 205 in the first innings. I asked him how many double hundreds he’d scored in his career and when he reeled them off, I was bored by the end."
Speaking about Josh Tongue's debut fifer against Ireland, Broad said:
"As the senior bowler, I had a few conversations with Josh Tongue in his debut match. I’m a big believer in sticking to your strengths when starting a spell and I told him to bowl exactly how he would for Worcestershire. You always need one X factor as a Test bowler, whether that’s height, pace, extreme accuracy or movement and he’s got a couple of those things, so he’s another promising addition to our armoury of bowlers."
The selection panel has retained Tongue in the 16-man Test squad for the first two Ashes Tests.