BROAD IS OUR ASHES ANIMAL
Stu relishing scrap with Aussie players and fans as he insists this is ‘our time to shine’
STUART BROAD is licking his lips at the thought of a hostile Gabba crowd greeting England this winter.
The Ashes animal has been there, done it and got the T-shirt, which probably reads ‘Stuart Broad is a s**t bloke’.
He played all five games in defeat in 2013/14 and on his only winning tour Down Under he was sadly watching the celebrations on TV after being injured in the second Test in Adelaide.
This time he wants a repeat of that 2010/11 result and he is optimistic about England’s chances thanks to the extra experience of players like Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, who will all be touring for a second time.
“It was hard to feel 100 per cent a part of it in 2010/11 because I was at home in Nottingham when the Ashes were being lifted in Sydney,” said Broad. “With playing two then and five on the next trip I feel my experience in Australia is in a good place, I know what fields I need with plan A and plan B, but this is our time as a team.
“We’ve been building for this for a while. We have experienced players, but also those middle experienced players who have played 35, 40 matches and that’s when you learn as a player how to put your foot on the throat or get your team out of trouble.
“We just need to make sure we get out of the Gabba with something. No-one has beaten the Aussies there for years so just like we had in 2010 we need someone to stand up.
“I am optimistic and it’s hard not to be. We’ve got Joe Root, who gets 50 every time he bats, Stokes is exciting, Stoneman looks nice at the top and our bowling is consistent with the awesome emergence of Moeen.”
Broad gave Prime Minister Theresa May a glimpse of what the Aussies can expect after joining some children from Chance To Shine in a street cricket game in Downing Street.
There was no sledging from the youngsters as he and World Cup-winning skipper Heather Knight sent down a few overs, but that will change this winter.
“I’ve been fortunate to play cricket in some prestigious places in my time, but probably no more prestigious than at 10 Downing Street,” he added.
“The great thing about Australia is they like competitors and giving people a bit of stick. If someone comes back and performs, they respect that.
“I think I’ve got a nice relationship with the Aussie public because they know I’ll try my heart out every time even if I fail.”