"The bails are off"- Stuart Broad reacts after dream farewell in 5th Ashes 2023 Test
Veteran England pacer Stuart Broad retired from international cricket after the fifth Ashes 2023 Test on Monday, July 31. It was a memorable farewell for the 37-year-old seamer as England won the match by 49 runs and leveled Ashes 2023 2-2 to draw the series.
It was a mighty impressive showing from the hosts as they were 2-0 down after the first two matches but showed great character and made a stellar comeback.
Broad played a major role in England's success as he played all five Tests and ended up as the second-highest wicket-taker with 22 wickets. He was just behind Mitchell Starc, who scalped 23 wickets in four games.
In his final spell in Test cricket, Stuart Broad took the last two wickets of Australian batters Todd Murphy and Alex Carey to help his side to victory. It was a fairytale ending for him as he hit a six off the last ball he faced with the bat in the third innings. He then took a wicket off his final delivery before walking off into the sunset.
Stuart Broad took to his official Instagram handle on Tuesday and shared a post, reflecting on his final moments in International cricket. He captioned:
"The bails are off. Unforgettable ❤️"
I have never heard a bad word spoken about him from players on either side: Justin Langer on Stuart Broad
Former Australian opener Justin Langer recently shed light on Stuart Broad's off-field persona. He stated that he never heard anything bad about the English pacer from other players.
He shared that Broad was admired by his teammates when he participated in the Big Bash league in the past. In his column for The Telegraph, Justin Langer wrote:
"Stuart might make some Australian fans’ blood boil, but I have never heard a bad word spoken about him from players on either side, and I know how much he was admired by everyone when he played in the Big Bash."
He added:
"Often your perception of an opponent can be far from reality. I have learned that the opponents you least like, are often the ones you would love most in your team."
Broad bid adieu to international cricket with 604 Test wickets in his kitty.