Published 18:56 IST, July 10th 2020
Stuart Broad 'frustrated and gutted' for inexplicable omission from England side: Watch
Stuart Broad revealed that he was frustrated, gutted & angry at having been left out of the playing XI for the first match in the England vs West Indies series.
International cricket resumed with the England vs West Indies series from Wednesday. However, the playing XI for the first Test match of the England vs West Indies surprised many as England pacer Stuart Broad was left out of the side. The exclusion of Stuart Broad was the first time the fast bowler has been left out of a home Test match in eight years. With Stuart Broad dropped, England went ahead with the fast bowling trio of Jofra Archer, James Anderson and Mark Wood in the first test of the England vs West Indies series.
Stuart Broad speaks out on exclusion from 1st match of England vs West Indies series
After the exclusion of Stuart Broad raised eyebrows, the 34-year-old has broken his silence on the issue. Speaking to Sky Sports, Stuart Broad revealed how he felt after being dropped from the team. The pacer revealed that he found out about the news of his exclusion at 6 pm the night of the game.
The pacer revealed that England captain Ben Stokes revealed that they’ll be going for extra pace for the first match of the England vs West Indies series. Stuart Broad then revealed after hearing the news, he sought clarification regarding his future and that he was given pretty positive feedback on the same by chief selector Ed Smith.
The England fast bowler also went on to reveal that he talked to Ed Smith as well, who’s the national selector. Broad revealed that the trio of Jofra Archer, James Anderson and Mark Wood was picked particularly for this pitch. The bowler also shared how he felt about the exclusion. Stuart Broad said that while he’s not an emotional person, he has found the last couple of days to be quite tough. He said that it would be an understatement to say that he’s disappointed.
“I’ve been frustrated, angry and gutted”: Broad after being dropped from the first match of the England vs West Indies series
England’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test match cricket revealed that the decision was quite hard for him to understand. He went on to say that he believed that he has been in his best form over the last couple of years. Having starred against South Africa and in the Ashes, the pacer said that he felt he should have kept his place in the side.
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Although Broad acknowledged that the team finds itself in a unique position in the England vs West Indies series owing to the quality of bowlers in the squad, the player said that just like others, he also believed that he deserved to be part of the playing XI. While concluding, Stuart Broad said that he doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. He said the team knows what he has to offer and promised to make the most of the opportunity whenever he’s given a chance.
Image Courtesy: instagram/stuartbroad8
Updated 18:56 IST, July 10th 2020