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This is a short thread on Stuart Broad & how the bowler we are watching now - the pitch-it-up, attack-the-stumps monster, is - perhaps - the bowler he’s always been at heart, it’s just taken until recently for him to fully embrace that approach. @CricViz
There is no denying Broad has changed as a bowler across his career and this is borne out in the numbers. He’s evolved from a raw enforcer (2008-2009) to a run-saving metronome (2010-2014) & now finally to an attacking behemoth (2018-now).
However, while Broad’s evolution as a bowler is undeniable, it is also impossible to talk about Broad & not talk about how he is a bowler of magic spells. These are the moments when Broad is flying &—crucially—at his irresistible best. These moments are pure, liquid Broad.
Closer analysis of these spells—and I’ve identified seven performances here: Oval 09, Trent Bridge 2011, Headingley 2012, Lord’s & Durham 2013, Trent Bridge 2015 & Joburg 2016—shows how they are all defined by the pitch-it-up, attack-the-stumps method that he is now embracing.
This table breaks down Broad’s seven magic spells by his wicket lengths. It shows that 79% of those wickets come from good & full lengths & that full lengths are the most potent of all. Broad at his best—from Oval 09 to Joburg 2016—has always looked to attack the stumps.
It’s interesting that since Joburg 2016—the period when Broad has bowled fullest—he’s not yet had an iconic magic spell, but perhaps that’s because now Broad is simply always on a hot-streak, he’s now not a bowler of great attacking spells but simply a great & attacking bowler.
Through Broad's Test career (under many different coaches & captains) Anderson has always been the attack leader & this may have meant that Broad has been asked to (& probably chosen to as he's learnt about his own bowling) play different roles for the team.
My theory is that post-Flower's 'bowl dry' era & as Broad has stepped out of Anderson’s shadow by adopting his own tactics (such as going round the wicket v LHs which has reemphasised the effectiveness of full lengths) he’s fully & finally embraced the bowler he’s always been.
