England's fast bowler, Ollie Robinson, has expressed his sentiments about the void that will be left in the team following the retirement of cricketing legend Stuart Broad. Broad, one of England's most successful cricketers, called it a day on his illustrious career after the final Ashes 2023 Test, making it an emotional moment for his teammates and fans alike.
Broad, a significant figure in the England squad, concluded his cricketing journey post the fifth Ashes Test of 2023. In an impressive career span, Broad played a staggering 167 Test matches for England, claiming over 600 wickets. The news of his retirement broke out on the third day of the ongoing Test, with Broad voicing his aspiration to bow out when still at the pinnacle of the sport.
While the announcement of Broad's retirement took many by surprise, it was his exceptional performance in his farewell match that stole the limelight. The fifth Ashes Test, contested at the iconic Kennington Oval in London, saw Broad put on a memorable show. With Australia chasing a hefty target of 384, England managed to claim seven wickets in the final session to outdo their arch-rivals. Broad, in his last outing, seized the final two wickets, ensuring a thrilling 49-run triumph for England.
In his column for Wisden, Robinson reminisced about the close bond he shared with Broad. He highlighted how he often sought advice from Broad and James Anderson, both on and off the field. According to Robinson, Broad was not just a cricketing legend, but also a figure of positivity and humour.
"I'm very close to him. Any problems that I have, I go straight to him and I go straight to Jimmy. They're the two that I will always go back to – cricket-related, something from my personal life, anything. And they're very good at dealing with it. They've both been through almost everything you can think of in their careers. Broady is someone that you might not see as the most emotional character, but you know that he cares about you because of the effort he puts in. I spoke to him about a few things; we'd have a conversation and I wouldn't hear from him, or we wouldn't talk about it for a few days, and then he'd come back and tell me he'd be thinking about me and that he'd been thinking about the problem in a certain way,"
"He has an amazing positive energy. The thing that I love most about him is his dry, witty humour. He's very quick. Anytime a batter comes in from being sledged or anything like that, he is very quick to jump on the wit. He's just so funny to be around," said Robinson.
Robinson also said that Broad was the changing room for the English team and the whole unit will miss the veteran's pacer.
"But the thing that people don't see is the man behind the curtain. In the changing room, he is the changing room. Broady and Jimmy, they're making people laugh the whole time and I think that's what's going to be so sad for us – not having that anymore. The cricket was almost a secondary benefit of that dressing room atmosphere. To actually have him in the dressing room was really special and it was amazing to play with him for as long as I did," said Robinson.
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