England star turns to Hadlee for help
England fast bowler Stuart Broad has sought advice from New Zealand cricket legend Richard Hadlee over a makeover he hopes will extend his international career.
Broad looms as a key figure for England in the coming Ashes series against Australia and there could be a Kiwi influence to thank for that.
In a column for the Mail on Sunday, Broad revealed he had approached Hadlee about ways to reinvent himself – shortening his run-up, changing his stride pattern and utilising a higher release position.
There were all things Hadlee did late in his career on his way to being the best test bowler in his time.
Broad revealed he even watched old footage of Hadlee’s eight-wicket haul at Edgbaston in a 1990 test against England to get inspiration.
Broad contacted Hadlee and the right-arm bowler, renowned for his pace and rhythm as well as meticulous preparation, gave the 32-year-old Englishman a detailed two-page email, explaining how and why he changed his approach late in his career.
‘‘It was awesome . . . that in particular was what inspired me to go for it,’’ Broad wrote.
‘‘He reckons it gave him an extra six years on his career, that he became meticulously accurate, had such control at the crease that he wouldn’t bowl a bad ball and that it gave him more bounce.
‘‘These are all the same reasons that I want to make a change. If it’s good enough for one of the best bowlers in history, why not me?’’
Broad believes a higher release position and shorter run-up can help him achieve extra bounce.
‘‘This time last year I did a lot of work on my wrist position and then took six wickets in the first innings against New Zealand in Christchurch, so I hope the changes to my run-up will have a similarly positive effect,’’ he wrote.
‘‘It seems to be going well despite being so new to me.’’
Broad has a bit of time to work on developing his new technique. England play three tests against the West Indies next month. Broad now has 433 test wickets – two more than Hadlee who held the world record.