Stuart Broad’s huge mistake on cricket return ahead of The Ashes | Cricket | Sport
Stuart Broad faced an awkward moment when he was turned away from Lord’s on his first day as a cricket pundit. The retired England legend will be observing from the crowd during this year’s series as his nation chase a first Ashes triumph since 2015.
While the renowned contest returns Down Under for 2025, Broad may well recall the occasion he made a significant blunder on his maiden day as a broadcaster on home soil. The 39-year-old retired during the 2023 Ashes on day three of the fifth Test and transitioned into punditry shortly afterwards. Before The Hundred fixture between London Spirit and Oval Invincibles that year, Broad turned up at Lord’s prepared to feature on Sky Sports.
Yet, despite having accreditation, the former England star attempted to use his player pass to access the venue and was swiftly denied entry as it had already been deactivated.
While he ultimately gained admission, Broad’s afternoon was further disrupted by rain before play finally commenced. The ex-cricketer acknowledged at the time of his retirement that seeing what he meant to supporters impacted him deeply.
At the time, he told the Daily Mail: “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.”
Broad will be eagerly watching as England strive for a long-awaited victory over Australia in The Ashes series. He reckons that Australia are at their “weakest” since 2010 but still considers them to be the favourites.
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The 39-year-old has fond memories of that year, as it was the last time England triumphed on foreign soil in The Ashes. Broad was part of the team that retained the title with a 3-1 win, the last squad to achieve this feat.
On the For the Love of Cricket podcast, Broad commented: “It’s very, very difficult to win in Australia as an England side, or any side – it just is.
“Australia have to be massive favourites. The question really was ‘Which team’s under the most pressure?’ Well, Australia are under the most pressure because they’re expected to win. They’re brilliant at home.
“But they’ve got question marks over their team and question marks over [the fitness of] captain [Pat Cummins].”
He added: “You wouldn’t be outlandish in thinking – it’s actually not an opinion, it’s a fact – it’s probably the worst Australian team since 2010 when England last won, and it’s the best English team since 2010. So those things match up to the fact it’s going to be a brilliant Ashes series.”
