James Anderson: "There is always that extra little bit of spice involved against Australia... We're going to play exactly the same way. We're not going to back down"; watch the Ashes live on Sky Sports this summer, starting with the first Test from Edgbaston on June 16
Tuesday 4 April 2023 19:04, UK
Stuart Broad believes this summer's Ashes is going to be "one hell of a series", adding England's recent success in Test cricket makes it "the most anticipated Ashes since 2005".
England famously wrestled back the urn from Australia for the first time in 18 years in that 2005 Ashes summer, triumphing 2-1 in what is widely considered the greatest series ever.
England's two victories came by the barest of margins, a remarkable two-run win in the second Test at Edgbaston and a three-wicket success in the fourth at Trent Bridge. The third and fifth Tests at Old Trafford and The Oval, respectively, were both drawn after thrilling final-day finishes where all results were possible.
England's Ashes drought is currently at just the eight years heading into this summer's clash, but a reinvigorated Test team - which has won 10 of their last 12 under the leadership of captain and head coach combo, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum - has many believing the urn could again be coming home.
"It's going to be an incredible summer," Broad told Sky Sports News during the England team's Ashes media day at Lord's on Tuesday.
"In my mind, it feels like the most anticipated Ashes since 2005. And I think that's due to the style of cricket we've played over the last 10 months and the results we've had.
"It's one of the greatest series' you can play in. It's full of history and every player that steps on that field has got a lot of passion and drive to get the results.
"For us as a team though, with the style of cricket we're playing, we've quite openly said that we try to take the results out of it. It's about entertaining the crowd and playing the sort of cricket people want to watch on the TV and listen to [on the radio].
"That's going to be our style, whoever we play against. We're going to look to entertain and have fun - and it would be great to do that against Australia."
England's new approach under Stokes and McCullum, 'Bazball', as it has been dubbed in homage to the head coach, is as yet untested against Australia.
But asked if it can still be as successful against Pat Cummins' side, Broad pointed to the calibre of opponents and bowling attacks England have bested over the last year - including reigning world Test champions New Zealand, India and South Africa.
"The Aussies will be coming here pretty fresh, fit and ready," Broad said. "But we've played against some brilliant bowling attacks with the style of cricket we've played - (Trent) Boult and *(Tim) Southee, (Jasprit) Bumrah and (Mohammed) Shami, (Kagiso) Rabada and (Anrich) Nortje.
"They're some bowlers of brilliant quality, and that won't change against Australia. We know they've got a really good attack and a great batting line-up, so it's going to be one hell of a series."
The 36-year-old Broad has four career Ashes wins under his belt already. A fifth this summer would see him match the hauls of both Sir Ian Botham and former team-mate Ian Bell - a member of that victorious 2005 Ashes team.
If England were to be victorious this summer, would it result in Broad retiring from international cricket or the game altogether?
"To be honest, this time last year, I made a pledge to myself mentally that I would just attack each week - whether that's playing for Nottinghamshire or England," Broad said.
"It has done wonders for me. It has made me feel energetic and fresh every week, have a new focus. For me, looking too far ahead drained me a little bit.
"I feel great, I feel fresh. That's what Stokesy and Baz have brought to me, personally - that entertainment and fun.
"Every time I turn up for a match, I'm always going to be passionate, I'm always going to be competitive and put my heart and soul into it, but if I can be smiling, enjoying it and have as little pressure possible from the changing room, that's a wonderful place to be."
As for the outcome of this Ashes summer, Broad just hopes that like that famous 2005 series it will end up going all the way down to the wire.
"I want it to be a really entertaining series," he said. "A great win for English cricket would be a really tight series, no draws, going down to the final game at The Oval with all eyes on it."
Broad's long-time bowling partner, James Anderson - the pair having combined for a staggering 1,261 Test wickets of their careers - has said he thinks it will be difficult for any bowler to play in all five Ashes Tests this summer.
Anderson, at 40 years old, has become accustomed to being rested and/or rotated out of England's Test attack in recent years in an effort to prolong his career at the highest level.
With the five Ashes Tests scheduled to be played over the course of six and a half weeks, Anderson would not quite go as far as to say it would be a 'miracle' to feature in all five, but he certainly would be surprised if he did so.
"It's hard to get through that and manage your body," Anderson told Sky Sports News. "We've seen that in the past with the nature of back-to-back Test matches.
"From my point of view, it would be, not a miracle, but a surprise if I played all five [Tests] - and I'm sure the other guys think the same.
"You need a good, strong bowling unit in an Ashes series. You can't just rely on three of four bowlers, you need six or seven that can stand up and take part at any time."
As for the threat of Australia this summer, Anderson expects them to, as usual, "come hard at us" but added England will not change their new-found positive approach in the face of that challenge.
"There is always that extra little bit of spice involved against Australia," Anderson said. "And I'd expect nothing different.
"They'll come hard at us. But we're going to play exactly the same way. We're not going to back down; we'll try and be positive and go at them as hard as we can do with bat and ball.
"We've had some great contests over the years with Australia and I'm sure this will be no different. Hopefully we'll come out on top."
Watch the men's Ashes live on Sky Sports this summer, starting with the first Test from Edgbaston on June 16.
