Broom in no hurry to retire
WITH role models such as Brad Thorn and Ryan Giggs, who knows how long Neil Broom can continue playing cricket for Otago?
The 37yearold former Black Cap is certainly not showing his age.
He was Otago’s leading scorer in the Super Smash. The righthander blended innovation with classical cricket shots to string together a consistent run.
He is still fit and in possession of a rocket arm — you do not run two when Broom is closing in on the ball even if he has lost a little pace around the field.
And then there are all those provincial records with his name next to them.
He has scored more list A (3820) and twenty200 (2728) runs for Otago than anyone else, and he is the secondhighest all time scorer for the Volts in firstclass cricket with 6085 runs.
That is 12,633 runs across all three formats, including 24 centuries.
He is one of only two players to play more than 100 firstclass games for Otago.
The list of records is a lot longer but the point is when Broom does eventually retire he will leave an enormous gap.
He has retired from the firstclass cricket but there is good news on the other two fronts — there are no immediate plans to stop playing whiteball cricket.
‘‘I’d like to keep playing for at least another season,’’ Broom said.
‘‘I’m still really enjoying it and still feel like I’m adding something for the team which is the main thing.’’
‘‘People don’t play into their 40s in New Zealand but it happens all the time in English County cricket.
‘‘I always look at guys like Brad Thorn who was playing for the All Blacks [in his midtolate 30s] and guys like Ryan Giggs [who played in the English Premier League into his 40s].’’
Time is slowly catching up with Broom, though.
The veteran started off in Canterbury and made his firstclass debut in February 2003.
Otago wicketkeeper Max Chu, who will make his oneday debut for the province today, was just 2 when Broom wandered out to face the Wellington lineup at the Basin Reserve that day.
Canterbury was loaded with talent then and Broom ended up following Aaron Redmond and Gareth Hopkins south to Otago.
Craig Cumming had made the same move several years earlier. It became a welltrodden path and the Volts were able to build a very decent side.
Otago ended a 20year drought in the oneday competition when they won the title in 200708. The Volts also collected T20 titles in 200809 and 201213.
Broom returned to Canterbury for a season in 201415 but has otherwise been a part of the furniture since initially transferring south in 200506.
Otago hosts Canterbury in onedayers in Queenstown today and on Sunday.
Broom will collect another couple of list A appearances for the province to take his tally to 114.
He will come in at No 3 and carry a heavy load.
The Volts batting lineup underperformed during the Super Smash but the side is wellplace in the Ford Trophy.
Otago is in third place with four matches remaining. The playoffs beckon if it is good enough.
‘‘It is all set up for us,’’ Broom said.
‘‘I love batting at No 3 in the onedayers — try to come in and control the innings.
‘‘I don’t have ambitions about playing at a higher level now, so for me it is about winning games for Otago and helping the team out where I can.
‘‘That is quite good in a way because I don’t have as much pressure on me as a player to perform, so I’m a lot more relaxed with my cricket at the moment which is quite enjoyable.’’
Broom works at Hireworx as a business development manager when not playing cricket.
The decision to stop playing firstclass cricket has shortened his season but lengthened his career.
‘‘I just wasn’t 100% invested in [firstclass cricket] and if you lack a couple of percent in that game it will eat you up, so I was definitely over it when I pulled stumps.’’
‘‘The season feels pretty short now and bodywise I feel fine — I feel good actually. And I feel like I’m hitting the ball the same as I’ve always hit it, so as long as I’m enjoying it I can keep playing for as long as I can.’’
Canterbury has named a strong lineup for the match. Black Caps test players Henry Nicholls and Tom Latham return to the lineup, while the attack features fellow international Matt Henry.