Shropshire Star

Stuart Broad smiles as he returns to the England Test fold

Stuart Broad feels like he is “flying” now he is back in the England squad following his winter omission for the West Indies tour.

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England's Stuart Broad takes part in a training session at the Gabba ahead of the first Ashes cricket test in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard).

New captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum have brought Broad and James Anderson back into the fold for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, which starts tomorrow.

Broad, who is also basking in the glory of Nottingham Forest winning promotion to the Premier League at Wembley on Sunday, said: “I am flying.

“I am just excited to be around.

“The chance of being at the home of cricket and the home of football in the same week, if you’d have told my 12-year-old self that I wouldn’t have believed you.

“It is going to be a great week.”

Broad is looking forward to a new era under Stokes and McCullum and is excited for the future.

“Very much so,” he added. “It was a big change in the leadership above the team’s head and there are really good guys there and we are looking forward to getting moving on the pitch.

“We have only been together as a squad since Monday morning. Brendan and Stokesy have led one training session and we go again this afternoon (Tuesday).

“There is an exciting feel to the group.

“We went to St George’s Park last week for a couple of days and the team meal that night there was a lot of energy and a lot of focus to get going for an international summer.”