Stuart Broad: New Zealand series was the best

Stuart Broad has told Sky Sports News HQ that the New Zealand series was the best he has been involved in.

Broad, who has played 79 Tests since making his debut against Sri Lanka eight years ago, also said that the attacking approach - so evident at Lord's and Headingley in the last fortnight - would be fundamental to success in the Ashes series later this summer, 

England suffered a 199-run defeat to New Zealand in the second Test on Tuesday - ensuring the mini series was tied - but Broad believes there was plenty of encouragement for the rest of the summer. 

Speaking at a golf day in Nottingham to raise money and awareness to combat Motor Neurone Disease, Broad told Sky Sports News HQ: "This series was the best series I have been involved in as a player.

"The excitement level was high, the batsmen came out and tried to give it a whack the bowlers had to try and counteract that and there were some great catches as well.

"The Lord's game was so exciting, everyone playing on the front foot and credit to New Zealand who came back fantastically well. It was disappointing not to get the series win but a draw was probably a fair result over the piece.

"The two-Test series is always quite short. I personally like the longer four-five Test series because you get a feel for the opposition. You can get on top of different batsmen and work them out and vice versa. The spectators get into it more but of course we have a fantastic five-match series against Australia coming up.

'Disappointed'

England have named a 14-man squad for the five-match ODI series with New Zealand - which starts on Tuesday, June 9 at Edgbaston - with Ian Bell, Gary Ballance, Moeen Ali, James Anderson and Broad himself left out; the Nottinghamshire bowler accepts that rest is vital with the Ashes on the horizon.

He said: "I think we've got guys throughout the New Zealand series who have performed with bat and ball and we have got a five-week break coming up from red ball cricket. Some guys will go and play white-ball cricket but others need to get good match-form leading into the Ashes.

It is better to get a little bit of rest because you have to see the bigger picture

"I've been expecting not to play this one-day series. With 16 Test matches this year it is probably best for the Test bowlers to be rested from white-ball cricket. I'm disappointed not be in the white-ball squad but it is better to get a little bit of rest because you have to see the bigger picture.

"The players always want to play. The hierarchy consult the medical staff. Every ball we bowl in training and in matches gets logged and when you get into the red zone when you have done a lot of bowling then you get asked to pull back a bit because you are a high-risk of injury. So we are looked after very well these days."

Regarding new coach Trevor Bayliss, Broad said: "I've never met him but Michael Lumb, who played under him at Sydney Sixers, says he is a fantastic guy and that he likes to let players take responsibility. That's what we have done in the past couple of weeks.

"We want to play attacking cricket and play on the front foot which is what you've got to do against New Zeland and Australia. Trevor arrives late June so he will have time to bed in and get some new ideas on board and then hopefully we will be ready to go."

The five-match series between England and New Zealand runs from June 9-20, with the opener at Edgbaston. Watch all five on Sky Sports HD. You can then watch every ball of the five-match Ashes series on Sky Sports HD beginning in Cardiff on July 8.