'My God, She's Beautiful', James Anderson's thoughts on Stuart Broad when they met for the first time

Great partnerships are the cornerstone in the greatest of team sports. For over centuries in the game of cricket, partnerships have defined matches, series and the structure of the sides, be it bowling or a batting partnership. James Anderson and Stuart Broad are perhaps one such pair who have together set up one of the most destructive bowling attacks in contemporary Cricket. The duo shares more than 1,000 Test wickets between them for England and has produced series-defining performances quite often, taking the team to remarkable triumphs over the decade,

James Anderson with 575 scalps has the highest number of wickets amongst pacers in Test Cricket. Meanwhile, Stuart Broad with 437 Test wickets is only second to his partner Anderson amongst England’s leading wicket-takers. While they share 1,000 scalps between them overall, the number of dismissals the duo has bagged while on the field together is 851, which only behind two legendary duos: Glenn McGrath-Shane Warne (Australia) and Muttiah Muralitharan-Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka).

The highest wicket-taker for England in Tests has generously described his relationship with his fellow partner Stuart Broad in his new book “Bowl. Sleep. Repeat.” Anderson has, in fact, praised Broad aplenty showcasing the most cordial relationship in modern times, examples of which are often seen across several social media platforms wherein the pair pull each other’s legs in fun banters.

Anderson recalls the pair’s experiences together

“It’s surreal we’ve taken more than 1,000 wickets between us,” news.com.au quoted Anderson as written in his book. “We’ve never been in competition as bowlers because our skills are different. Stuart has been under pressure at times from bowlers who get the steep bounce and move the ball off the seam and I have from the skiddier ones who swing the ball. It’s never been me or him in the selection,” he added.

Everyone remembers the night a 21-year-old Stuart Broad got hit across for six sixes in the WT20 2007 match against India. But later that year, Broady made his Test cricket debut against Sri Lanka in December and that was the first time the duo met, Anderson reveals. “The first time Stuart Broad walked into the dressing room, with his flowing blonde hair, striking blue eyes and perfect figure, I thought ‘My God, she’s beautiful’,” wrote Anderson.

The 36-year-old pacer further wrote on his partner’s on-song brilliance saying, “Part of our evolution as a partnership has been talking a lot. We’ve always had the attitude that fast bowling is something you do in partnerships. The conversation has really helped us. Stuart can produce moments of brilliance from nowhere and change a game in a short spell.”

Anderson reveals another factor that connects the two

Both Anderson and Broad are the last to make it to practice since they love to sleep as much as they can. “We have one vital shared interest. Everyone else wants to get in early to start practising. Broady and I would rather have another half-hour in bed. We try to get there at the last possible moment,” says Anderson.

The Broad-Anderson pair will be seen together again in the much-anticipated Ashes 2019 contest which starts in August, post the conclusion of the upcoming World cup.

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