Stuart Broad: Father Chris says retiring England legend is 'a shining light'
- Published
Chris Broad on son Stuart
Stuart Broad has been "a shining light" during a "remarkable" 17-year career that thrilled English crowds and riled Australians in equal measure, says his father and former England player Chris Broad.
Broad junior, 37, fittingly finished his 15-year Test career by taking the final two Australia wickets to push his tally to 604 as England drew the Ashes 2-2 with a 49-run victory at The Oval last month.
"It's been terrific. He has done fantastically well," Chris told BBC East Midlands Today.
"The whole family have been extremely proud of his performances and the way he comes over in the media. Of course, the Australian media hate him - and that's great! But as far as the English media are concerned he seems to have had a good ride.
"I am clearly proud and honoured to have watched a number of his performances. He has been a shining light throughout his career.
"He has set an example for a lot of people to follow and I hope lots of people do follow him. He has played it tough but has played it in a friendly manner. He has tried his hardest whenever he has gone out into the middle."
Broad retired as the second most successful pace bowler in Test history, behind only team-mate James Anderson.
He took 20 wickets in this summer's Ashes series, the most by an England player, played in all five Tests and left the international scene as one of the great performers in Ashes cricket, with a record 151 Test wickets against Australia.
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Chris, who also played for Nottinghamshire as well as having two spells with Gloucestershire, was a fine international cricketer in his own right.
But even though the left-handed opener was the man of the series and plundered three successive centuries and 487 runs at an average of 69.57 as England won the Ashes down under in 1986-87, Stuart has surpassed his impressive international record.
The longevity - and level of Stuart's success in his 167 Test matches - is still difficult to comprehend, however, for his father.
"It has been surprising - particularly as a bowler," Chris added.
"He started off as a batter but Leicestershire saw he had the ability to bowl and he grew into this guy who was 6ft 6ins who was able to get it down the other end quite quickly. It was his control, line and length that was impressive - right from the start.
"Right from the time he played first-class cricket at Grace Road through to The Oval he has loved every moment of playing a sport that so many other would love to play as well - and loved to be playing at the highest level.
Chris Broad represented England in 25 Tests and 34 one-day internationals and played for Nottinghamshire between 1984 and 1992
"Very quickly after playing for Leicestershire he was playing for England and he never really looked back. It's an astonishing, immediate rise and something he has maintained for all those years - it's quite remarkable."
The Nottinghamshire public have not seen the last of either Broad, even though Stuart has moved to London with fiancee Mollie King and baby daughter Annabella.
"He was born in Nottinghamshire at the City Hospital, so playing for Notts was an inevitable move," Chris said.
"He has loved - as I always have - being at Trent Bridge. The Trent Bridge crowd are so knowledgeable, friendly and kind and he has also appreciated their support when he has come back to play - and so have the team.
"In the past few years he has been one of their better bowlers. He encourages a lot of the youngsters to perform at a higher level and they are going to miss him as much as England I am sure.
"But retiring was absolutely the right thing for him to do. It worked out perfect. It was a really nice way for the supporting public to be able wish him well in whatever comes next. It was his way of saying thank you very much."