Stuart Broad ‘could barely speak’ after being dropped from first Test against WI

England pacer Stuart Broad, who was left out of the first #raisethebat Test against West Indies, revealed he could barely speak after the decision.

Broad, who later went on to cross the 500-wicket mark in the series, struggled with his emotions after being dropped from the first Test

Less than a week later, he has opened up about the effect his omission from the first Test had on him, saying that the moment acting captain Ben Stokes told him he would not be playing sent his body “into shakes”.

“When Stokesy told me I wasn’t playing, I felt my body go into shakes. I could barely speak.”

"When Stokesy told me I wasn't playing, I felt my body go into shakes. I could barely speak."

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 fast bowler Stuart Broad, who later went on to cross the 500-wicket mark in the #ENGvWI series, struggled with his emotions after being dropped from the first Test. pic.twitter.com/rIRMgs86Bt

— ICC (@ICC) August 3, 2020

Broad’s 16 wickets at 10.93 led to him being named England’s Player of the Series. His figures included a brilliant spell with the second new ball which netted 3 for 1 in 14 balls to help set up victory in the second Test and 10 wickets in the third Test, including a six-wicket haul in West Indies’ first innings before he joined the 500 club in their second.

It was the perfect response after he was left feeling “frustrated and angry” at being let out of the first Test.

Now the 34-year-old Broad sees no reason why he can’t take 600 Test wickets, given his desire to emulate James Anderson and play into his late 30s. Anderson, who turned 38 on Friday, is 11 wickets away from the 600 mark. And Broad also has his sights on the next Ashes series in Australia.