Stuart Broad had not hinted at retirement before he actually made the announcement, after the third day’s play at the fifth Test match of the 2023 Ashes, at the Kia Oval.

On the fifth morning, Broad hit a six off the last ball he faced in Test cricket. That evening, he took the last two Australian wickets to seal a series-levelling win for England.

Broad finished as one of only two cricketers – Shane Warne being the other – with 3,000 runs and 600 wickets in Test cricket. He also led England in both ODIs and T20Is.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Broad spoke of the morning after: “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.

“Later, as I took my dog Alfie to the park near where I live, I walked past a house five minutes down the road and there was a headband tied around the railings at the front. I looked up and there were posters in the window saying ‘thank you so much for your career’. It was really cool.”

Broad also listed his six most favourite wickets: Chaminda Vaas (Colombo, 2007/08), Praveen Kumar (Trent Bridge, 2011), Peter Siddle (Chester-le-Street, 2013), Adam Voges (Trent Bridge, 2015), Travis Head (Old Trafford, 2023), and his last Test wicket, of Alex Carey (Kia Oval, 2023).

England were penalised 19 World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over rate during the Ashes. Broad does not approve of it: “It diminishes the relevance of the World Test Championship, to be honest. It’s been one of the most entertaining series of all time and for England to come out with nine points from a possible 60, the system’s wrong and needs looking at.”

It is a penalisation that could cost England their shot of reaching a first World Test Championship final; they are currently in fifth place in the table.