The last time Stuart Broad was in Australia for the Ashes, he had endured an absolute nightmare.
The lanky fast-bowler had a forgettable tour of Australia not only because England had suffered a humiliating 5-0 whitewash, but also because of the heat he faced from the local crowd.
Not only was he booed and jeered by the crowd, but he also received similar treatment from the media with Brisbane’s Courier Mail even removing him from the England team photo. The England pace spearhead had received the hostile treatment due to the incident that had taken place in the 2013 home Ashes series a few months earlier when he had not walked back after edging the ball to first slip and was given not out.
And while time will tell whether the Aussie crowd has mellowed down, the England pacer admitted he is preparing himself for a hostile reception during the upcoming Ashes series. In fact, the bowler said he would miss it a little bit if he is not targetted.
“I’m building myself up for it,” he said. “I think I might miss it a little bit if nobody said anything. You’re better off getting jeered than nothing. At least if you’re jeered, someone has heard of you, or you’ve done something in an Ashes series. Seeing my face in a paper over here was a new experience. The last time I was ‘Stuart Fraud’. So they are spelling my name right, we’re already on to a winner.
“But yes, if you’re an England cricketer in Australia, you have to prepare yourself for a bit. Everyone has to brace themselves for it. It is a great part of the rivalry. The stick Mitchell Johnson got at Edgbaston [in 2015] was pretty lively. It’s exciting. It’s a great feeling. It’s not something you’re going to get when you retire. You have to remember running out on a sports field with thousands of people jeering and cheering because those moments don’t last forever,” he added.
Broad did not have the best of home summers this year. Barring the moment when he surpassed the legendary Ian Botham’s haul of 383 Test wickets, Broad did not have much to celebrate, as he managed to pick up 20 wickets at an average of 33.90 despite bowling well.
With the fielders not backing up his bowling, the summer did not witness the famous match-winning spells from Broad, but the right-arm pacer is confident of delivering those famous spells which have made him famous.
“I think I do have a match-winning spell in me, yes,” he said. “It was just one of those summers that catches seemed to go down, so I never got into one of those spells. I feel like I’m ready for one of those spells again.
“I’ve done a lot of work over the last eight weeks and straightened my run-up to get my seam and fingers right behind the ball for the bounce. I don’t want to swing it; it will be against my strengths to come here and bowl a full length looking to swing the Kookaburra. I want to do what McGrath and Josh Hazlewood do: bash away and bring in both sides of the bat. I’ve done some good work. I feel like my time is coming,” he added.
The five-match series will start on November 23 in Brisbane.
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