Stuart Broad is England\u2019s second highest wicket taker of all time. The leggy blonde legendary figure running into the crease full pelt throwing back his arm and directing a shiny new red ball towards the stumps of fearsome batsmen has become iconic in Test Cricket over the last thirteen years whilst watching England. Broad at one end, Jimmy Anderson at the other, one of the highest regarded bowling attacks in world cricket. But earlier this week, that all meant nothing.<\/p>\n
After his stunning performance against Australia (and in particular verses David Warner) in the tied Ashes series, Broad followed up a solid summer in becoming the leading wicket taker in the South Africa series during the winter which England won 3-1.<\/p>\n
The 34-year-old Nottingham born bowler however got quite the surprise when England\u2019s stand in captain Ben Stokes suggested that the 138 cap international icon was \u2018not needed\u2019 to face West Indies in the first test at Southampton.<\/p>\n
Broad who has been training with the test squad this summer in preparation for England\u2019s revised behind-closed-door series suggested \u201cto say I\u2019m disappointed would be an understatement\u201d\u2026. Broad furthered \u201cI\u2019ve been frustrated, angry, gutted, because it\u2019s quite a hard decision to understand\u201d.<\/p>\n
When asked how he was told of his omission from the first test which started on Wednesday, Broad said \u201cI found out about 6pm the night before the game, Stokesy told me we\u2019re going for extra pace in these conditions\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI spoke to Ed Smith who\u2019s involved in picking the thirteen, he said they picked purely for this pitch. I wanted clarifications on the future, I was given pretty positive feedback for going forward\u201d.<\/p>\n
Broad said \u201cI\u2019m not a particularly emotional person but I\u2019ve found the last couple of days quite tough\u201d saying \u201cIt\u2019s quite a hard decision to understand, I\u2019ve probably bowled the best I\u2019ve ever bowled in the last couple of years, I felt like it was my shirt but we\u2019re also in a very unique position this summer, very rarely do you get all your bowlers fit like we\u2019ve got at the minute and all bowlers raring to go\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is hard to take, but also I\u2019m quite pleased I feel frustrated and gutted and angry because if I didn\u2019t, I would have a different decision to make\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Nottinghamshire seamer was axed for extra pace and bounce at Southampton with Ben Stokes’s Durham team-mate Mark Wood getting the nod in selection for England which means if the pick really is pitch orientated than Broad could return for the Old Trafford Test next week which is likely to suit more his style of bowling. Result and performance may also dictate how the selectors go however and should Broad again be omitted it would mean an even longer and more agonising wait for a bowler who is just 15 short of 500 test wickets. Something only six bowlers on earth have astonishingly achieved.<\/p>\n