Stuart Broad

About Stuart Broad

Stuart Broad is an international cricketer from England, listed as a bowler. Career years: 2006 - 2023. Batting style: left-hand bat. Bowling style: right-arm fast-medium. Date of birth: 1986-6-24. Career highlights — ODI: 529 runs at avg 12.3; T20I: 118 runs at avg 7.37. Explore complete career numbers, debut matches and match-by-match form below.

Stuart Broad biography

Whatever innocent impression might initially be given by his blond hair and baby-faced good looks, there have been few feistier cricketers in England's Test history than Stuart Broad. His new-ball partnership with James Anderson has sustained England's Test attack for years, his own aggression and ability to flog bounce from all but the most benign surface dovetailing nicely with Anderson's technical excellence. And as Anderson continued to set new landmarks, Broad followed ably in his slipstream, emulating his friend when becoming only the second Englishman to take 400 Test wickets.

Broad has been blessed with one remarkable career performance. However long he plays, surely nothing will come close to the first session of the Ashes Test of 2015, on his home ground of Trent Bridge, when he took 8 for 15 as Australia were bowled out before lunch, in only 18.3 overs, for 60. This was Australia's ultimate humiliation - a beating as raw and ridiculed as the 5-0 larruping from 18 months earlier that England were on their way avenging. Broad's incredulous hands-to-mouth expression as Ben Stokes plucked a catch at fifth slip became the picture of the summer.

Broad has always been a bowler capable of a hot streak. On the occasion of his 100th Test in November 2016, he had taken five wickets in a single spell seven times. On such occasions, he runs in hard and his menace visibly grows. His combative fast bowling and volatile temperament (comparisons have been made with Draco Malfoy, a Harry Potter baddie) has been one of his great strengths as well as periodically bringing criticism about his behaviour, but the respect in which he is held was amplified when England recognised his desire to succeed and ability to think on his feet by appointing him as Twenty20 captain. He led the side on 27 occasions between 2011-15 before England, with an eye to the preservation of a vital player, utilised him increasingly as a Test specialist.

Despite being carted for six sixes in an over by Yuvraj Singh at the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007, his stock continued to rise on tour with England in Sri Lanka when his 11 cheap wickets helped them to a 3-2 one-day series victory. He was then called up for the subsequent Test series, making his debut on a slab of Colombo concrete and toiling for 36 sweaty overs. The subsequent tour of New Zealand proved to be his real chance, however. With Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison both lacking form, he was selected for the Wellington Test. The decision taken by his coach Peter Moores and captain Michael Vaughan was soon vindicated.

Broad was already shaping up as the Next Big Thing of English cricket when he pushed his career into overdrive in a sensational spell of bowling in the fifth and decisive Ashes Test at The Oval in 2009. With the series in the balance, Broad claimed figures of 5 for 37 in 12 overs, including 4 for 8 in 21 balls, and after that there was no coming back for Australia.

He was struck by injury for the first time in the 2010-11 winter, ruled out of the last three Ashes Tests before breaking down again during the World Cup. However, his significance in England's future was confirmed when he was named Twenty20 captain. A slump in form almost cost him his Test place for the visit of India - a period when he was misguidedly imagined in the "enforcer" role - but, having survived the cut, he responded with a Man-of-the-Series display, including the first Test match hat-trick to be recorded at Trent Bridge, in a spell of 5 for 5: another trademark burst.

Broad's form with the ball was one of the few positives as England suffered a 3-0 whitewash against Pakistan in February 2012 and he began the domestic Test season in splendid form, against West Indies at Lord's, taking 7 for 72 in the first innings, which made him only the eighth player to earn the distinction of being on two honours boards at the home of cricket. His four in the second innings made him the first England bowler to take 10 wickets or more in a match there since Ian Botham in 1978.

His subsequent form was less impressive, however. Concerns that he was dropping in pace were alleviated by eight wickets against South Africa at Headingley, but he lost his place on the tour of India, after struggling with a heel injury and failing to take a wicket in either of the first two Tests. But after being fitted with specially designed boots, he showed signs of improvement.