A productive winter in the subcontinent could propel Stuart Broad to second place in England’s list of all time wicket takers, but the Nottinghamshire & England fast bowler is far more concerned with team success.
Forthcoming trips to Bangladesh and India will provide the 30-year-old with opportunities to build on his remarkable tally of 358 scalps at the highest level, just 25 behind Ian Botham.
Broad is 105 dismissals behind James Anderson, 34, who will miss the first leg of the tour through injury. But the four-time Ashes winner, who famously took 8-15 against Australia at Trent Bridge in 2015, has little or no interest in personal milestones. He prefers to focus on winning.
“You need that hunger. I’m not a bloke who’s going to retire with the best stats ever. But I hope that people will say: when it was on the line, he was a competitor. And that’s important. Because as soon as that hunger goes, then you’re not a sportsman any more," he said.
“I’m not motivated by wicket goals. But I’ve got big team goals. I’m desperate to win in Australia. Win in India.
“2019’s a massive year for English cricket, so I want to be firing on all cylinders around that time. And this is going to be our toughest winter for a long time.”
With a hectic itinerary combined with tight security, Broad isn’t anticipating seeing many of the sights of Bangladesh on tour – but no matter, he’s there for the cricket, the sport he loves.
“It’s different, even from my dad’s era,” he said. “You don’t get about a huge amount, especially in the subcontinent. Hotel. Airport. Cricket ground. So you take things to keep your mind moving.
“To be honest, it’s important to remember you’re doing a hobby for a living.
“My dad explained it to me quite well. If you wake up in the morning and you’re looking forward to going out and doing something, then it’s the right thing for you.
“If you’re thinking: ‘pfff, I don’t think this is for me’, then make a change. I’ve got huge hunger, and key goals I still want to achieve in my career.
“I caught myself watching the India v New Zealand Test match the other day,” he says. “My mates are like, ‘what are you doing, it’s your time off?’ But I dunno, I… I love it. There’s something about it, the theatre of it, that I love.”
Stuart Broad was talking to the Daily Telegraph, at Lord’s, as he announced the renewal of Hardy’s Wine as the Official Wine of England Cricket.
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