'But in my mind I don’t class that as a real Ashes' - Stuart Broad writes off England's Ashes 2021 loss to Australia in bizzare statement

There have been a plethora of intense rivalries between England and Australia in The Ashes in the past along with some war of words upfront from both sides. With the 2023 edition of the coveted getting nearer, it seems that the hosts have started their mind games. In the same vein, the legendary English pacer, Stuart Broad, came up with a rather bizarre statement deeming their loss in the 2021 Ashes as invalid.

Giving his take on one of the harshest losses he has ever suffered in his brief career, cited COVID-19 and its restrictions affecting various aspects of the game both on and off the pitch. Notably, there were several restrictions for international travel including the mandatory quarantine period at the time. The English team had to spend 14 days at a resort during this stay and had to remain confined to their bubble during the series.

However, even after blaming the Coronavirus phase as the spoilsport, Australia thrashed England with an emphatic victory (4-0). Broad seemed unpleased with the training facilities and was not able to socialise with others as two major challenges during that tour.

The definition of Ashes cricket is elite sport with lots of passion and players at the top of their game: Broad

Furthermore, sharing his thoughts on the 2021 Ashes, Broad continued by saying that the coveted series has always been about delivering elite-level performances with sheer passion and players being at the peak of their game with both the bat and the ball. 

“Nothing about that series was high level performance because of the Covid restrictions. The training facilities, the travel, not being able to socialise. I’ve written it off as a void series. Nothing was harsher than the last Ashes series,” Broad was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

“But in my mind I don’t class that as a real Ashes. The definition of Ashes cricket is elite sport with lots of passion and players at the top of their game," Broad concluded.

Interestingly enough, with 'The Ashes' all set to begin on June 16, this time around, there are no Covid restrictions for both England or Australia, which surely will make the upcoming Ashes 2023 edition a challenging and intense summer for the English team. Moreover, should England end up losing the series at home, Stuart Broad won't be able to call it an invalid series.