Stuart Broad

Stuart Broad gained international recognition with the England Under-19 side and established himself in the Leicestershire first XI in 2005, thus beginning a meteoric rise that included an England A debut in only his 11th first-class match in March 2006 and a call-up to the senior one-day side five months later.

He was voted the Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year in 2006, before making his first England appearance in the Twenty20 International against Pakistan. He transferred to Nottinghamshire in 2008, where he proceeded to collect 54 wickets, including career-best figures of eight for 52 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, in his first ten Championship games for them.

Stuart was a vital member of the victorious 2009 Ashes squad and produced a sensational spell of bowling in the fifth and decisive Test at the Oval in 2009 when, with the series in the balance, he claimed figures of five for 37 in 12 overs, including four for eight in 21 balls.

Having hit a Test-best 169 against Pakistan at Lord’s in 2010, Stuart recovered from injury to produce a man of the series display against India in July 2011, which included the first ever Test match hat-trick at Trent Bridge. He followed that with a superb winter, albeit as England lost to Pakistan in the UAE, taking 13 wickets at 20.46 and also scoring a half-century in the second Test.

Stuart became only the fifth England player, and seventh overall, to earn a place on both bowling and batting honours boards at Lord’s following his 11-wicket haul in the first Test against West Indies in summer 2012.

Having been a key member of the side that triumphed at the tournament in the West Indies in 2010 and made the T20 captain in March of the following year, Broad captained England at the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in September and October of 2012.

He started 2013 in impressive fashion and was one of the stand-out performers as England drew the Test series in New Zealand. He was named man of the match in the first Test against the Kiwis at Lord's in May after claiming seven wickets in the second day to inspire England to a 140-run victory. 

Stuart produced some of the most impressive and consistent performances of his career to help propel England to theirs and his third successive Ashes triumph in 2013.

He took his 200th Test wicket in the third match at Old Trafford before recording best bowling figures of 11–121 and being named as man of the match in the fourth at Durham as England ensured a series win.

On the first day of the second Investec Test Match against Sri Lanka in June 2014, Stuart Broad became the first ever English bowler to take two hat-ricks in his career, and the fourth of all time internationally.

Following the fourth Test against India in the summer of 2014, Stuart had to undergo surgery on his right knee.

He returned to the game with form for the ODI Tri-series with India and Australia before featuring at the World Cup.

Stuart was 5-109 in the first innings of the second Test against New Zealand, also making 46 with the bat, as the series was drawn 1-1. 

He took key wickets throughout The Ashes series, culminating in an incredible 8-15 in Australia's first innings of the decisive victory at Trent Bridge.

Stuart's first wicket - with the third ball of the match - took him to 300 Test wickets and his display was enough to move him up to second in the ICC bowling rankings.