Emotional James Anderson left shellshocked after Stuart Broad abruptly announces his retirement

Veteran England pacer Stuart Broad announced his retirement from all forms of cricket after the end of the ongoing Ashes 2023. The decision came as a shock as the cricketer is still at the very top of his game. James Anderson, his long-time pal, too hadn’t had any clue beforehand as the cricketer expressed his disbelief when Broad made the decision public on Day 3 of the fifth Test at The Oval.

Unveiling the entire story, the 37-year-old recalled how Anderson reacted and also mentioned meeting skipper Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum later in the night to thank them for helping him do well in the last phase of his career. The Nottingham-born cricketer also revealed that he got a bit emotional but is nevertheless focused on getting the job done in the ongoing fifth Test.

“He (Anderson) just said ‘Are you joking?’. We then had a hug. I went to see Stokes and Baz [Brendon McCullum] last night and said thanks for all you have done for me,” Broad said on BBC’s Test Match Special.

“It is always hard. When I spoke to Jimmy I got a bit emotional. But ultimately we have a game to win here. We can do the reminiscing afterwards if we get the job done,” the cricketer added.

I’m proud to have 150 Test wickets against Australia: Broad

Stuart Broad also stressed the fact that it was vital for him to finish his career against Australia in the Ashes, as it is considered to be the pinnacle of Test cricket. He also revealed how difficult it was for him to announce his retirement to the rest of his teammates

“Ashes cricket has brought out the best in me, I love the energy of the battle against Australia, the crowd involvement, I’m proud to have 150 Test wickets against them and ultimately these are the memories I will hold with me for the rest of my life.

I look around and I have played so much cricket with so many players in this team. I love this team to bits and so even though I was at peace with telling Brendon McCullum and Stokes on Friday night, it was still difficult telling some of the rest of the lads on Saturday during pre-play warm ups,” Broad wrote in his column for Daily Mail.