Broad: Cast me as a Ashes villain again
English strike bowler Stuart Broad is urging Australians to again cast him as a villain.
Broad says the hostile crowd treatment he cops in Australia spurs him on, as does being sledged by Australia’s cricketers.
Broad was painted Australian cricket’s public enemy No.1 from the moment he refused to walk when blatantly edging a catch which rebounded from the wicketkeeper to first slip in a 2013 Test at Trent Bridge.
And the veteran quick revels in the role, hoping Australians continue the treatment in the Ashes series starting in Brisbane on November 23.
“I’m an Englishman in Australia, it’s only natural to expect that,” Broad told reporters.
“It’s actually a really exciting prospect because not often do you walk out on a sports field to a really hostile environment. “You walk out and go ‘whoa, I’m alive here, this is what it’s all about.”
“It’s part of the reason why the Ashes is so special.
“The Aussies come over to our grounds like Edgbaston and Trent Bridge and get some stick and we have got to build ourselves up to get some stick at the Gabba.
“But if you can’t deal with that, should you be playing top level sport?”
The 109-Test veteran said the edgy Ashes environments brought out the best in him - he has more Australian Test wickets (84) than against any other nation.
“I love it,” he said.
“I’m probably the worst warm-up game bowler in the world.
“I need that extra bit of spice in games that niggle in games, that competitive spirit, that is what I play for.”
“And I think that’s why I have probably saved some of my best performances for Ashes series.”
Broad said he was trying to instill his competitive Ashes instincts into his English teammates.
“To make it to the top level a lot of people are naturally competitive anyway,” he said.