Is Stuart Broad that good?

[Cabinet96]

He's gun. Averages 27 in the last six and a half years, 25 in the last four and a half, at over 200 wickets. MotM in the three Ashes winning tests, MotS to become no1 side in the world. Pretty sure that all at least qualifies as English great.

He's not a massive swing bowler or excessively quick, but you don't need to be either (McGrath?). He swings it enough and gets good bounce and seam movement. Can ramp up the pace if he needs to as well.

He's not exactly a FTB either, was England's best bowler in the Australia whitewash and the last two UAE tours. His record in India looks so bad because he played through a heel injury there in 2012 and was 23 up again an ATG batting line up in 2008. Main issue with Broad has usually been that he has a couple of great tests/series and a few rubbish ones, but as Spark said that's pretty much exclusively related to injuries these days. Think the 2012 one against SA was probably the last bad series Broad had.

Tbh though, I'm pretty much at the stage where I just assume anyone who comes in with a "Broad isn't that good" line thinks it because they don't like him. He's a proper superstar.

 

[cnerd123]

 

[Stefan9]

He is a good bowler but not a great for me.

 

[WalkingWicket]

When was the last time he bowled a rubbish innings apart from coming back from injury? He was good to excellent in every single one of the first four Ashes Tests, and bowled better than his figures suggested in the first three. Very solid in the UAE as well without getting the returns.

Broad bowls rubbish most of the time then becomes a wrecking ball is such a cliche that people haven't bothered to check whether the "Broad bowls rubbish most of the time" is even true any more.



They don't defy logic at all. He gets disconcerting bounce and seam movement delivered from a deeply unsettling wide-of-the-crease angle, which is just horrible to face for any batsman.



This is frankly patent nonsense. Starc has done... what, at Test level, exactly? I mean, "there's no justification" is just manifestly untrue, given that there's been plenty of justifications given.

Yet my claim that Starc is better is 'patent nonsense' - is it not possible that Starc has bowled better than his figures suggested - he is certainly one of the most out-and-out talented bowlers in the world, and in selecting between Starc and Broad, I would be inclined to select Starc.

He got flogged a bit against NZ in the summer, but then again, everyone did, and he did take some wickets.

However, I will concede that Broad has been bowling well of late, but again, it might just be a purple patch - seeing him in South Africa will be interesting, but I think against a decent home batting attack will see him struggle a bit - I'm hopeful I will be proved wrong. It's more of a mental preconception that anything, perhaps the inherent English belief that none of our players are really what they're cracked up to be. I simply consider him to be overrated, in the same way others may have exactly the same preconceptions about other players - I have reasons, whether or not you agree with them is your prerogative. I may well be copping out of the argument, but that's because evidence has been presented which counteracts my argument and negates my points.

 

[Howe_zat]

He's gun. Averages 27 in the last six and a half years, 25 in the last four and a half, at over 200 wickets. MotM in the three Ashes winning tests, MotS to become no1 side in the world. Pretty sure that all at least qualifies as English great.

He's not a massive swing bowler or excessively quick, but you don't need to be either (McGrath?). He swings it enough and gets good bounce and seam movement. Can ramp up the pace if he needs to as well.

He's not exactly a FTB either, was England's best bowler in the Australia whitewash and the last two UAE tours. His record in India looks so bad because he played through a heel injury there in 2012 and was 23 up again an ATG batting line up in 2008. Main issue with Broad has usually been that he has a couple of great tests/series and a few rubbish ones, but as Spark said that's pretty much exclusively related to injuries these days. Think the 2012 one against SA was probably the last bad series Broad had.

Tbh though, I'm pretty much at the stage where I just assume anyone who comes in with a "Broad isn't that good" line thinks it because they don't like him. He's a proper superstar.

6/10 not enough descriptions of him as 'legit'

 

[Cabinet96]

Starc has kind of been better than his figures for his whole red ball career though. Bit different to when Broad does it, as we know he can actually run through a side with a bit more luck. We literally have no idea whether Starc is capable of this.

 

[Flem274*]

Starc has kind of been better than his figures for his whole red ball career though. Bit different to when Broad does it, as we know he can actually run through a side with a bit more luck. We literally have no idea whether Starc is capable of this.

No way.

He's been worse but picked up some jammy 5fers.

Fittingly, now that he looks like he's arrived he bowled some awesome spells in the series against NZ without picking up a quickfire bag. Take that Starc ya jammy ****.

 

[Coronis]

No Stuart Broad is not an ATG, I don't classify him as a great bowler either personally, and he won't be picked in an ATG English XI anytime soon, nor will Anderson. I don't think anyone is trying to say that? He's a good bowler and he's definitely a shoe-in for a current World XI. He's no Steyn, but he'll do.

 

[Spark]

Starc didn't really look like a good Test bowler at all until the Sydney test this year, to be honest.

 

[Burgey]

Broad is kind of a less extreme version of Johnson IMO. When he's on song he's irresistible - decent enough pace, gets bounce and moves it around. When he's below his best he's not that threatening but lacks the massive brain implosions Johnson suffered from. I think he's a very good bowler, one of those blokes you can watch for one over and tell whether it's going to be his day.

 

[Gnske]

A ****ing cheating ****.

 

[Furball]

Broad is kind of a less extreme version of Johnson IMO. When he's on song he's irresistible - decent enough pace, gets bounce and moves it around. When he's below his best he's not that threatening but lacks the massive brain implosions Johnson suffered from. I think he's a very good bowler, one of those blokes you can watch for one over and tell whether it's going to be his day.

Pretty decent comparison.

 

[MW1304]

I count only one or two posts calling him a ****. I'm disappointed, Australia.

 

[Daemon]

People forgetting his height. Nearly 2 metres tall and he uses it well.

 

[Red]

Broad would make India's ATG test team no problems.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

He's not that quick, doesn't swing it or seam it massively.

hmmm what ATG bowler does this description perfectly fit

 

[ImpatientLime]

Broad is kind of a less extreme version of Johnson IMO. When he's on song he's irresistible - decent enough pace, gets bounce and moves it around. When he's below his best he's not that threatening but lacks the massive brain implosions Johnson suffered from. I think he's a very good bowler, one of those blokes you can watch for one over and tell whether it's going to be his day.

yup. over the past few years only mitch at his best is as destructive as broad when it all clicks. steyn included.

signed, the author of 'would stuart broad make indias strongest test xi'?

 

[Gob]

 

[WalkingWicket]

hmmm what ATG bowler does this description perfectly fit

Does Stuart Broad really = Glenn McGrath?

I assume you're referring to G McG...

 

[Gob]

not as good as Cummo of course.