Player Analysis- Stuart Broad

Player Analysis- Stuart Broad

Welcome to the new segment on my blog, which is called 'Player Analysis'. The analysis will be done on 3 bases, on a 5 mark rating;
  • The X-Factor
  • Consistency
  • Exploits away from home



England's Stuart Broad is the player in focus for today's analysis. Broad deserves more than just being in the shadow's of his peer, James Anderson. Whenever Broad is being talked about, Anderson seems to be getting a mention alongside him. It seems as if Broad's exploits for the 'Three Lions' seem to be getting lesser credit than what they deserve (368 Test Wickets at 28.54). Add to that his more than handy skills with the bat (2691 runs at 21.35), Broad has all the makings of a fantastic Test Cricketer.

The 'X-Factor' is basically the mojo that separates the good from the great. It is the ability to shell out 'performances of distinction' on a regular basis.
Time and again, this man has produced unthinkable spells and has bailed England out from difficult situations. Be it in South Africa, Australia or England, Broad has produced some absolutely magical spells. Here are his top 3 spells in Test Cricket;

1) 8/15 vs. Australia, Trent Bridge 2015

2) 6/17 vs. South Africa, Wanderers 2016

3) 6/25 vs. India, Old Trafford 2014

Anyone who has a look at those numbers will easily be amazed. Comparing such less runs conceded against more than half of the wickets taken on quite a few occasions shows his ability to run through any side. Australia, South Africa and India are quality sides, not an easy task to demolish these batting line ups. 
Based on these three performances, and many more (7/44 vs. New Zealand, 7/72 vs. West Indies etc.), it is evident that Broad definitely possesses the 'X-Factor'.

The X-Factor- 5/5

Broad sometimes has the tendency to take a while to get warmed up to conditions not familiar to him. Quite often we have seen him take about a couple of innings to get used to unfamiliar conditions. Some say it's laziness, others say it's the lack of skill. I would agree with the former. Also, since Broad isn't a great limited overs bowler, occasionally he gets taken to the cleaners in Test Cricket. Other than these couple of reasons, Broad has shown a great amount of consistency. More often than not, Broad is amongst the wickets. If not for consistency, Broad would't have picked up more than 300 wickets at an average of less than 30.

Consistency- 3.5/5

When it come to performances away from home, an Asian player is always judged by his performances outside Asia. Similarly, even players outside of Asia are judged by their exploits in the sub-continent. 
As far as performances in Asia are concerned, Broad has been just above average. He has shown glimpses of brilliance in India and the UAE, but never converted it into a match winning performance.Though, Broad has the ability to succeed in Asian conditions. Evident of the fact is his ability to reverse swing the ball at a good line, length, pace and bounce. Other than the sub-continent, his performances in places like South Africa, Australia, New Zealand have been quite impressive.

Exploits away from home- 3/5

Based on these three scores, Broad gets a OneMoreOver Score of 3.83/5

Still 30 years of age, Broad still has a lot to offer England as a bowler. Would love to see him shell out better performances in the sub-continent, with a higher consistency rate. With Anderson struggling with back injuries, Broad will become the leader of England's bowling attack and will have to take up more responsibility with the old ball as well. 

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