Bhubaneswar: England speedster Stuart Broad stunned the world on Saturday by announcing his retirement from the sport at the end of the ongoing Ashes series against Australia.
Reflecting on the toughest moments in his career, Broad handpicked former India southpaw Yuvraj Singh hitting him for six sixes in an over during the 2007 T20 World Cup.
Former India all-rounder Yuvraj hammered Broad for six huge sixes in the over en route to his 12-ball fifty in a group encounter of the T20 World Cup 2007 in Durban on September 19.
According to Broad, the moment made him the competitor he is today.
“Yeah, it was obviously a pretty tough day. What would I have been: 21 or 22 at that time. I learned loads of things from that bitter experience. I pretty much based a whole mental routine through that experience knowing that I was left very short as an international performer in that moment,” said Broad during an interview.
“I’d rushed my preparation. I didn’t have any sort of pre-ball routine. I didn’t have any focus, particularly, and I started building my ‘warrior mode’ that I call it after that experience. Ultimately, of course, I wish that didn’t happen. I think what really helped me was it was a dead rubber, so it didn’t feel like I’d knocked us out of the World Cup or something. But I think it steeled me up to make me the competitor I am to this day and has driven me forward a huge amount,” he added.
Notably, with 602 scalps under his belt, Broad is currently the fifth-highest wicket-taker in Tests. He is also the second pacer after teammate James Anderson, to take 600-plus wickets in the longest format of the game.
