Stuart Broad has been the mainstay of England’s bowling line-up in Test cricket over the years. However, he was dropped from the side for the first Test between England and West Indies which is played at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. The veteran had to make way as the team management was tempted to play Jofra Archer and Mark Wood together owing to their brisk pace. In a recent interaction, Broad admitted that he was ‘frustrated, angry, gutted’ over the decision as the tactics were too hard for him to understand. England vs West Indies Live Score 1st Test 2020 Day 3.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of day 3 of ENG vs WI 1st Test, the pacer revealed that the stand-in captain Ben Stokes broke the news to new on the eve of the match. Broad, in fact, also had a word with head selector Ed Smith who assured him that the decision was take due to the nature of the Rose Bowl track. Sachin Tendulkar Praises James Anderson, Says ‘He Is One of the Best Exponents of Reverse Swing.’
“I was given pretty positive feedback in going forward. I'm not a particularly emotional person but I've found the last couple of days quite tough; to say I'm disappointed would be an understatement. You get disappointed if you drop your phone and break your screen,” said the 33-year-old. Stuart Broad Enjoys ENG vs WI 1st Test From Hotel Balcony at the Ageas Bowl.
This is the also the first home Test which the right-arm pacer has missed since 2012. Broad also said that he was at his prime in the last couple of years and thus, warming the benches isn’t easy for him.
"I've been frustrated, angry, gutted because it is quite a hard decision to understand. I've probably bowled the best I've ever bowled in the last couple of years. I felt like it was my shirt, particularly winning the Ashes and going to South Africa and winning there,” he further opined.
Broad, however, also said that it’s a rarity when all the bowlers are fit which would tempt the team management to experiment. "But we are also in a fairly unique position this summer - very rarely do you get all your bowlers fit, like we've got at this minute. Part of my strength and durability as a cricketer is that I've been fit on a lot of occasions and been available for selection. I felt like I deserved a spot in the team as would anyone else,” he said further.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 10, 2020 04:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).