Stuart Broad blasts cricket chiefs for punishing England after dramatic Australia Ashes win
Stuart Broad has blasted cricket chiefs for punishing England after Australia Ashes win
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Stuart Broad has taken aim at cricket chiefs for penalising England following the recent Ashes series against Australia.
The hosts, who won the fifth and final Test to draw 2-2, were docked 19 points and hit with a big fine for maintaing a slow over rate.
Australia were also punished by losing 10 points, though England's total was far higher.
Broad's side were docked two points Edgbaston, nine at Lord’s, three at Old Trafford, and five at The Oval.
England legend Stuart Broad got his fairytale finale in Australia Ashes win
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And the former England bowler, who announced his retirement prior to the tournament's dramatic finale, has now vented his annoyance over the decision.
"It diminishes the relevance of the World Test Championship, to be honest," he told the Daily Mail.
"It’s been one of the most entertaining series of all time and for England to come out with nine points from a possible 60, the system’s wrong and needs looking at."
Broad went into the final day of the Ashes hoping for a fairytale finale.
And the veteran got exactly that, taking the final two Aussie wickets to help England claim victory.
Broad has now revealed England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow foresaw the way the 37-year-old would bow out of cricket on such a positive note.
"Funnily enough, I saw Jonny Bairstow the night before in the hotel, after he’d been out with his family for a bite to eat," he said.
"And he said: 'You know what’s going to happen, tomorrow? It’s going to finish with a bowled Broad, caught Bairstow.'
"So when I was hugging him, I reminded him: 'You called it'.
"It was the most satisfying feeling ever to end that Test match."
Broad also insists he has no regrets over his decision to retire and reveals he feared becoming a faded force prior to quitting the sport.
"Since I shook Ben Stokes’s hand and told him my decision, I’ve not had one doubt. Not one regret," he said.
"Finishing with all my family at the Oval, in the way I did was special and I’ve always wanted to leave the game loving it.
"I’d always retained a bit of a fear of one day playing against an up and coming 20-year-old and them saying: 'I heard he was OK, but he’s actually rubbish.'
"So, I wanted to finish with people thinking I could still do a job.
"A couple of people inspired me in that regard: Alastair Cook, obviously, with how he stepped down with England and Chris Read because he left Nottinghamshire with every single one of his team-mates telling him, 'You could definitely have done another year.'"
And Broad has been left stunned at the way fans have paid tribute to him in the short time since his retirement.
"I woke up and saw a clip of headband-wearing fans in the crowd celebrating a wicket, and I was like, 'Wow'.
"I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve but it was seeing what it meant to other people that got me
"Later, as I took my dog Alfie to the park near where I live, I walked past a house five minutes down the road and there was a headband tied around the railings at the front.
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England hero Stuart Broad took 604 Test wickets prior to retiring
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"I looked up and there were posters in the window saying: 'Thank you so much for your career.' It was really cool."