'Selfish' Stuart Broad wanted James Anderson to get stranded on 699 Test wickets

Former England National Cricket Team pacer Stuart Broad has openly said that the selfish part of him wanted the veteran pacer James Anderson to get stranded on 699 Test wickets in the Dharamsala Test against India National Cricket Team.

Anderson didn’t fulfill the wish of the ‘selfish’ Stuart Broad as he managed to bag two wickets in the fifth Test against India to reach the historic landmark of the 700 Test wickets at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.

The 41-year-old became the first pacer in the history of the game to achieve this feat and overall he is the third bowler after spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne. He will be eyeing the record of Warne as he just needs 9 wickets to go past the tally of wickets of the Australian great.

Broad was extremely proud of his long-time bowling partner for achieving the historic milestone, but he wanted to see the veteran pacer reach the 700-wicket feat at Lord’s in front of England fans.

“Selfishly, part of me was hoping he’d be on 699 coming back to Lord’s this summer and that I could be there to witness it with so many other England fans. Given our close working relationship over the years, I’d have loved to be one of the 10 guys walking off behind him, giving him a clap,” wrote Broad in his column for Daily Mail on Sunday.

He also hilariously said that Anderson might retire from cricket at the age of 65. He stated:

“How long will he go on for as a Test bowler? It’s a question people will naturally ask but I honestly have no idea. Jimmy’s an addict, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. It’s so ingrained in him that he sometimes gives the impression that he wants to retire at the traditional UK age of 65.”

Notably, England will host West Indies for a three-match Test series in July 2024. James Anderson will most likely be a part of the England squad for the series and the opening game will be played from July 10 at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Is it possible that he would play in the next Ashes away? Yes – Stuart Broad

Broad also expressed his optimism over the participation of Anderson in next year’s Ashes. He highlighted how the captain-coach duo of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum want him to carry on for 18-24 months.

“He will know when the time’s right to go, and only he can make that call. Is it possible that he would play in the next Ashes away? Yes. Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes would want him to go on for the next 18-24 months, but he will be 43 then and I don’t necessarily think he’ll be looking that far ahead.”

Stuart Broad further said that the milestone of 700 Test wickets by James Anderson will remain untouched and no pacer will be able to play for that long to pick those many wickets. He stated:

“It’s a phenomenal achievement and not one I can see another fast bowler matching. When people talk about Jimmy, they mention the dedication and the mental resilience to keep driving forward, and obviously, you don’t play until you’re 41 without that but this is now the time we should just marvel at his skill, really, because that is what it has taken to get that many wickets in different conditions, challenging the best batters in the world for more than 20 years.”

Meanwhile, Broad opined that the historic landmark of Anderson was overshadowed by the hammering England faced by an innings and 64 runs against India in Dharamsala.

“It’s a shame in a way that he will not be able to remember joining the elite company of Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan for slightly better reasons in the sense that his moment came in a bit of a thumping at the end of a long tour for England.”

England started off the Test series against India with a stunning victory. However, as the series progressed the bazball approach of the team got exposed and they lost four matches on the trot.