Stuart Broad‘s incredible England Test career is now – almost – over.
The legendary bowler revealed exclusively to Mail Sport on Saturday evening that he is retiring from all forms of cricket at the end of the ongoing fifth and final Ashes Test this summer.
Broad’s shock announcement, on the eve of the third day of the final Ashes Test against old foes Australia, will send shockwaves through the game.
The 37-year-old Nottinghamshire veteran steps down as one of the most decorated bowlers in Test history – having provided countless brilliant reasons to cheer for England fans.
And below, Mail Sport runs through the top five moments from his stellar career.
Stuart Broad (above) revealed he is retiring from all forms of cricket in a shock announcement
The bowler will step down from all forms of cricket at the end of the fifth and final Ashes Test
Legend Broad, 37, has provided countless brilliant moments for England across a stellar career
5. Taking 6-17 against South Africa, Johannesburg 2016
Always a fast-medium rather than an outright fast bowler, the 6ft 5ins Broad relied on bounce, seam and swing to take wickets as well as pure pace.
He was always a smart, mature cricketer and was capable of manufacturing dismissals in all types of conditions, home and away.
With that in mind, we open up this list with a brilliantly inventive spell outside England, in South Africa in 2016.
The Proteas, at this time top of the world Test rankings, were leading the series 1-0 and looked poised to give England a tough fourth-innings chase – failure potentially leaving them in an impossible position to secure the series.
But Broady, son of former England opener Chris, ripped through the South African top order in scintillating fashion.
He found opener Dean Elgar’s edge, before taking the next four wickets for the loss of… just one run, across only 31 balls.
Final figures of 6-17 – taking the top six frontline batters – helped give England just 74 to chase in the fourth innings, which they knocked off with no trouble.
Broad walked off satisfied knowing he had given his country a huge helping hand in setting up a fine series victory.
Broad took the first of his two Test hat-tricks against India in Nottingham back in 2011 (above)
4. The first of two Test hat-tricks vs India, Nottingham 2011
Only four men in history have taken two hat-tricks in Test matches: Hugh Trumble, Jimmy Matthews, the legendary Wasim Akram, and Broad.
For context, this is a feat that has only ever happend 46 times in history.
Broad enjoyed the first of his two against India in 2011. On his home ground in Nottingham, he saw the gargantuan cricketing figure of wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni flash an attempted drive to second slip.
His second was somewhat fortunate – seeing spinner Harbhajan Singh given lbw despite an inside edge (this was in the days before DRS in India matches).
Though there was no luck about the third and final wicket – bowling Praveen Kumar to spark wild celebrations at Trent Bridge.
His overall figures were a scarcely believable 5-5 in just 5.1 overs.
He then repeated the feat against Sri Lanka at Headingley, sending Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal and Shaminda Eranga back to the changing rooms
Broad also once hit a famous 169 against Pakistan while batting at No 9 at Lord’s in 2010
3. Scoring 169 against Pakistan, Lord’s 2010
Once considered a genuine all-rounder, the man now nicknamed ‘Nighthawk’ struck a magnificent century against Pakistan at Lord’s to underline his batting prowess.
Unfortunately for Broad, the match itself is now slightly soured in cricketing memory because of the spot-fixing scandal which saw the three perpetrators handed prison sentences.
Yet it should not reduce the enormity of his achievement.
After teenager Mohammad Amir had reduced the hosts to 102 for seven, Broad came in at No 9 and struck a record-breaking ninth-wicket stand of 332 alongside Jonathan Trott – the highest ever score by an England No 9.
England finished 446 all out and ended up winning by an innings and 225 runs.
Broad finishes his career as the second-top wicket-taking seamer of all time, currently on 602
2. Reaching 600 Test wickets against Australia, Manchester 2023
One of the most touching moments in his career was reaching the incredible landmark of 600 Test wickets in the current Ashes series against Australia.
There is a slight sense, fairly or unfairly, that the success of team-mate and fellow veteran James Anderson, 40, has somewhat undermined Broad’s brilliance.
But the statistics speak for themselves. In Test match history, he is the second-top wicket-taking seamer of all time. Ever.
His total of 602 at the time of writing (with one innings left for him to bowl in the last Ashes Test) is second only to Anderson’s 690 among non-spinners.
Spinners Muttiah Muralitharan (800), Shane Warne (708) and Anil Kumble (619) are the only ones to outstrip them.
Broad lies ahead of genuine legends like Glenn McGrath, Courtney Walsh, Dale Steyn, Kapil Dev, Richard Hadlee, Shaun Pollock, Akram, Dennis Lillee… the list goes on.
Dismissing Aussie top-order batter Travis Head in the fourth Test in Manchester saw him tick past the 600 landmark. It’s nothing less than he deserves, too.
1. Taking 8-15 to help secure the Ashes, Nottingham 2015
He loves bowling against the old enemy – and leads the way in Ashes cricket with a record 151 Test wickets.
And Broad’s 8-15 to decimate the Aussie top order and help England retain the Ashes is arguably the best Test match bowling spell in history – in just 57 balls from the Pavilion End at his home ground of Trent Bridge.
First, the context. England rock up to Manchester with their attack shorn of Anderson on his home ground, 2-1 up in the series with two to play.
Michael Clarke’s visitors needed to win the match. They lost it in a little more than 90 minutes. The first, to set the ball rolling, a vintage, quintessential in-to-out from around the wicket against the left-handed Chris Rogers.
Rogers would never again depart for a duck in Test cricket. His departure saw Broad become just the fifth man to reach 300 Test wickets – but that was only the start. He removed Steve Smith in the very same first over.
Shaun Marsh and Adam Voges were the next to follow, the latter dismissed by a worldie of a Ben Stokes catch that prompted Broad’s now-iconic gasp of shock with his eyes bulging and hands on face in utter disbelief.
Clarke, Starc, Johnson and then the hapless Nathan Lyon all edged off – all eight wickets being taken by the slips – sealed the history-making feat.
Speaking about that wonderful knack of embarking on match-changing spells, Broad said: ‘With experience, I’m aware when it’s my day.
Perhaps the iconic pose in his career is this shocked expression during a brilliant 8-15 spell
‘I have little checkpoints. I pick my knees up like a show pony, making sure I’m running in, staying big at the crease.
‘And when all those are ticked, you think: “I’m feeling pretty good, I’m getting it to move around, there’s bounce… let’s get the fielders in place”.’
Not since Devon Malcolm made South Africa ‘history’ at the Oval in 1994 had a fast bowler clattered into a batting line-up with such explosive aplomb.
And probably never have fans seen a more impressive spell in Test history.
Australia lost by an innings and 78 runs in less than three days, and lost the Ashes. What a moment – and what a man.
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