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Veteran Nottinghamshire and England cricketer Stuart Broad made the surprise announcement on Saturday that he would be retiring from professional cricket and that his final game would be the ongoing fifth Ashes Test, currently underway at The Oval. In what is his last match, the England veteran also received a guard of honour from the Australian players as a show of respect for one of the greatest bowlers in English cricket history. Recently, Broad has revealed that he plans to continue his association with the sport even in his retirement days, but in a more passive role. Recent reports revealed that Broad plans to join the world of commentating and broadcasting cricket.
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The 37-year-old made the surprising announcement on the third day of the ongoing Test and said that the decision had been made the night before after consulting with Ben Stokes and James Anderson, with whom Broad formed an iconic partnership over his long career. Broad spent 17 years in professional cricket, and retires as one of England’s most revered and loved players.
He said, “Yes, tomorrow or Monday will mark my last game of cricket. It has been a remarkable journey and an immense privilege to represent Nottinghamshire and England as extensively as I have. While I've contemplated this decision over the past few weeks, nothing compares to England vs Australia in my eyes. The Ashes cricket has always held a special place in my heart, and I wanted my final innings and bowling to be in Ashes cricket.”
Fittingly for a sending off, England continued their dominant performance during the final Ashes Test at The Oval.
Broad to move into broadcasting and commentary
The veteran player will continue in the sport despite retirement, more specifically as an analyst or commentator, according to reports. Given his long history and impressive career in the sport, fans will be delighted to hear the master’s thoughts on the game and will surely tune in when he makes his debut in this new cricketing venture.
Having made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2007, Broad has cemented his place in cricket history as one of the game’s greatest ever fast bowlers. He played 167 Test matches, 121 ODIs and 56 T20Is, collecting 845 wickets in total. He is also the fifth greatest bowler in Test history, taking 602 wickets.