At the conclusion of the third day of the fifth Ashes Test between England and Australia at The Kia Oval, the 37-year-old, who just reached 600 wickets in Test cricket, announced the achievement.
With 167 matches under his belt and the most wickets taken in this summer’s Ashes series, Broad has been a crucial part of England’s Test team ever since making his debut against Sri Lanka in December 2007.
The right-arm seamer played in 121 one-day internationals and 56 international T20 matches. He made his first-class debut for Leicestershire in 2005 before moving on to Nottinghamshire.
At the conclusion of play on day three, Broad informed Sky Sports Cricket that “Monday or tomorrow will be my last game of cricket.” “It’s been an amazing journey, and it’s been a great honour to wear the Nottinghamshire and England badge for as long as I have.
It’s been a beautiful series to be a part of, and I’m still as passionate about cricket as I ever was. I’ve always wanted to come out on top.
“I feel like being a part of this series has been the most amazing and fun experience. Broad told Sky Sports that he had been debating making his retirement announcement for a few weeks but decided to go ahead around 8.30 p.m. on Friday when he told England captain Ben Stokes of his choice at the team hotel.
While Broad feels physically in fine shape, he thought the conclusion of this summer’s Ashes series was the ideal time to bring the team together. The rest of the team was informed in the changing room this morning.
When Broad went to Stokesy’s room and told him, he immediately felt pleased and content with everything he had accomplished in the game. “I thought a lot about it and even up until last night I wasn’t sure, but once I went to Stokesy’s room and told him, I felt really happy and content with everything I’ve achieved in the game,” Broad said.
“In the end, it all came down to… I know that I wanted to leave the game with a love of cricket and the memories of a really fun changing room as my abiding impression.
“I wanted to leave playing with a group of players I love to bits,” the player said. “It feels like my changing room.”
The son of former England batter Chris Broad, however, still has one more duty to fulfil for his nation. On day four, when they resume play with the hosts on 389-9 and leading Australia by 377 runs, he and close friend and fellow international seam star James Anderson will see out the remainder of their second innings.
Then, in order to ensure that the Ashes series this summer ends equal at 2-2 and prevent Australia from gaining its first series victory on English soil since 2001, he will be striving to increase the number of wickets he has taken in his career.
For me, the ultimate matchup has always been England vs. Australia, said Broad. “Both for the squad and for myself, I’ve enjoyed the confrontations with Australia.
“I’ve got a love affair with Ashes cricket, and I think I wanted my last bat and bowl to be in Ashes cricket.”
