England great Stuart Broad will walk away from his cricketing “love affair” at the end of the Ashes, retiring from the sport full of pride and racked by emotion.
Broad announced his surprise decision to head into the sunset after day three of England’s fifth and final Test against rivals Australia, guaranteeing a rousing send off for one of the country’s best-loved athletes.
A sold-out Sunday crowd at the Kia Oval are sure to raise the roof for the 37-year-old, whose outstanding form this summer appeared to pave the way for plenty more to come.
But while his long-time partner James Anderson appears dead set on continuing, Broad has decided to bow out on his own terms at the end of a captivating series against rivals who have defined his career.
Whether or not he gets a dream farewell depends on events over the next 48 hours, but an England lead of 377 means they are well-placed to send him on his way in triumphant fashion.
He and Anderson may still have to bat together one last time after finishing not out overnight, but Broad will soon be strapping his trusty bowling boots back on and hunting Australian wickets in what promises to be a stirring swansong.
Reflecting on the imminent end of his 18-year career, and 17 as an international, he said: “I knew deep down that I wanted to finish playing cricket at the very top. I’ve had a love affair with the Ashes my whole life and the thought of being able to bowl my last ball and face my last ball against Australia fills me with joy.
“It’s certainly emotional. It’s a blur. I still love playing the game, I love being in the changing room and I wanted to have those memories leaving the game. That will definitely make me stay in love with the game of cricket for the rest of my life.
“This has been the most enjoyable series, the most entertaining series, the most edge-of-the-seat series that I can remember. I’ve loved that eye-to-eye battle, I’ve loved the energy the crowd brings, the rivalry.”
Broad’s legacy is a profound one. He has played 344 times for his country across all three formats and sits fifth on the all-time list of Test wicket-takers. Among seamers, he is second only to Anderson.
He was a T20 World Cup winner in 2010 – England’s first global white-ball title – and later captained his country in the format before becoming a red-ball specialist in his latter years.
That proved an inspired move as he and Anderson redrew the barriers of longevity for fast bowlers. Earlier this month, he joined Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble and Anderson as the only players in history to pass 600 Test scalps. He could be the last.
But he offered a humble assessment of his qualities, focusing on his desire and work-rate rather than his penchant for match-winning hot streaks or abilities with swing and seam.
“When I was a kid growing up I had sporting idols like Martin Johnson and Stuart Pearce. When I watched them, I loved their passion and drive,” he said.
“I never looked at them and thought ‘I could give more for that shirt’. So I’ve never wanted anyone in the crowd, or watching at home, or listening on the radio, to think ‘he’s not putting in, he’s not giving absolutely everything’. I know I am not the most skilful player that’s played. I know I need every inch of my competitive spirit and my drive and my effort to get anything out of my ability.
“But I would say every day I’ve pulled on a Nottinghamshire shirt or an England shirt, I’ve given my heart and soul. I can’t think there’ll be too many cricket fans out there who would think I’ve slacked off for a moment.”
Captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, who handed him the final chapter he craved after was dropped by the previous regime for last year’s tour of the West Indies, were first to find out on Friday evening.
He went to tell his team-mates over their morning kickabout on Saturday morning, choking up when he shared the news with Anderson, who turns 41 on Sunday but is ready to continue.
But if he had any doubts about his decision, the thought of spending more time with fiancee Mollie King and eight-month old daughter Annabella win out.
“I’ve been home maybe seven or eight nights this summer. I feel like I haven’t seen Mollie and Annabella as much as I would like to at such a young age. I love everything about being a Dad and will throw all my time and effort into being a great Dad.
“Did that come into my decision? Potentially. There’s certainly something that fills my heart with joy that I’ll be able to spend a bit more time at home.”
Asalanka leads Sri Lanka to ODI series win over West Indies
Sri Lanka wrapped up the ODI series against the West Indies with a five-wicket victory in Pallekele.
The hosts successfully chased down their opponents' total of 189, giving them an unassailable 2-0 in the three-match series.
Sri Lanka controlled the early powerplay - Asitha Fernando (3-35) and Maheesh Theekshana (3-25) took two wickets apiece to leave the tourists at 31-4 in the ninth over.
Wanindu Hasaranga (4-40) then claimed three of his four wickets as Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh and Alzarri Joseph were all dismissed in the space of 14 balls.
However, Sherfane Rutherford (80 off 82 balls) and Gudakesh Motie (50 not out) steadied the ship to take the Windies from 58-8 to 189.
Although Joseph claimed Avishka Fernando (9) in the fourth over, Nishan Madushka and Sadeera Samarawickrama both chipped in with contributions of 38 to get the hosts to 112-4.
Skipper Charith Asalanka (62 not out) led the charge thereon, while Kamindu Mendis (11) comfortably got them over the line with 34 balls remaining.
Data Debrief: Rutherford-Motie historic stand proves academic for tourists
West Indies were looking to level the series, but their hopes were not aided by Sri Lanka's impressive bowling.
Rutherford and Motie did their best. Their partnership brought 119 runs, which is their nation's highest ninth-wicket stand in ODI history, breaking the previous record of 85 between Yannic Cariah and Alzarri Joseph.
However, it ultimately proved in vain as the hosts secured the series with a game to spare.
'I was a tired, grumpy old man' - Stokes apologised to England team-mates after Pakistan defeat
Ben Stokes says he apologised to his England team-mates after his frustrations were evident during the second-Test defeat by Pakistan.
The hosts levelled the three-Test series on Thursday after wrapping up a 152-run win in Multan.
However, it could have been a different story but for fielding errors at crucial stages for the visitors, Jamie Smith and Joe Root notably dropping catches to dismiss Salman Agha, whose subsequent knock of 63 helped Pakistan seal victory with a day to spare.
Stokes, who returned to action following a hamstring injury, could not hide his frustration during a difficult day for England, but insisted he would not let his emotions get the better of him again.
"No one means to drop catches, but it just proves how important catches are in these subcontinent conditions, they don't come along that often," he told Sky Sports.
"I actually apologised to the group last night. It's the first time in my captaincy that I've let my emotions and how I was feeling with the way the game was unfolding show in my body language.
"I owned up to that and was very annoyed at myself for letting that out. It's something that I don't want to do or be seen to be doing, so I apologised to the group about that.
"Poor old me, I was a tired, grumpy old man last night! You won't see that happen again."
However, England coach Brendon McCullum defended the actions of his skipper.
"We all know how passionate Ben is, how much it means for him to play for England," he said.
"We've seen that through his bloody-mindedness to get back from injury, which was significant, and to do so in a nine-week timeframe and to have his first TM [Test match] in extreme conditions, 40 degrees, and be able to give what he gave to the side.
"I think, maybe, that's where some of that frustration led to - certainly, it wasn't directed at any of the players. It was more about trying to assess the rhythm of the game, and to impact on it."
Sri Lanka breeze to series win over West Indies
Sri Lanka cruised to a nine-wicket victory over West Indies to seal a T20I series triumph.
With the series delicately poised at 1-1 heading into the final match on Thursday, Sri Lanka started with intent in Dambulla.
Maheesh Theekshana (2-19) and Wanindu Hasaranga (2-24) led the charge as Sri Lanka skittled through the Windies' top order.
Rovman Powell's stubborn 37 and a contribution of 32 from Gudakesh Motie steered West Indies to a reasonable total of 162-8, but it was one well within reach of Sri Lanka.
Pathum Nissanka clipped seven fours and one six in a 22-ball 37 to get Sri Lanka's chase rolling at pace, before he was bowled by Gudakesh Mottie (1-31).
Yet the damage was mostly done, with Kusal Mendis powering his way to an unbeaten 68 and Kusal Perera plundering 55 from 36 balls to get the job done with the minimum of fuss.
Data Debrief: Perera closing in on Sri Lanka record
Perera is now just nine runs away from surpassing Tillakaratne Dilshan (1,889) as the leading scorer in Sri Lanka's T20I history.
His efforts, combined with those of Nissanka and Mendis, saw Sri Lanka win for a fourth time in their last six T20Is at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, although this is the first time they have won at the venue in that run when batting second.
The Windies' miserable record in Asia has continued, meanwhile. They have won only one of their last 11 T20Is in Asia (L10), with that victory coming in the first match of this series. They have now lost 33 T20Is on the continent in total, with only Ireland (35) having lost more.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
