Stuart Broad updated his Instagram bio to reflect his role in a new-look England team. New coach Brendon McCullum has ushered in an era of fearless and aggressive cricket, similar to the way he once played the game.
The team’s new swashbuckling batting style blew the reigning world Test champions away with a whitewash series victory, before defeating India in the rearranged fifth and final Test match at Edgbaston earlier this week.
This style, known as ‘Bazball’, has given Broad the role of an "inverted night-watchman cameo". However, the players have coined a snappier and fancier term for the legendary fast bowler’s style of batting.
"We called it 'Nighthawk'," revealed captain Ben Stokes after the fifth Test against India, won emphatically by seven wickets following a record chase of 378. "He [Broad] was going out with half an hour left to play to try to literally slog. That's where we are at the moment, it's awesome."
The question was asked - what would constitute mission-accomplished for the Nighthawk? "Thirty off 10. Or zero off one," Stokes replied. In a nod to Bazball, Broad’s Instagram bio now reads: “Official NightHawk for @englandcricket.”
In the final Test against the Kiwis, Broad struck 42 off just 36 balls and provided an important boost to England’s run scoring. Along with his consistent wicket-taking, Broad is one of the most important members of the England red-ball setup.
He certainly made the most of his opportunity upon his return to the squad after being left out of the side that toured the West Indies in March. Following the victory over India, captain Ben Stokes praised the team’s new approach to Test cricket and hopes they can reshape the format akin to the ODI format, of which they became world champions in 2019.
“Look at how teams will be viewing us at the moment, that third innings now has become a fourth innings, because they have to concentrate on how we're going to play, and they're worried about that," Stokes said. “So to be in that position as a team, being feared before they've even finished their innings is an unbelievable place to be in.
“Teams don't know how to play the third innings, especially when they've got a lead. We are trying to rewrite how Test cricket is being played, in England especially," he added. “All the different plans that we put together over the last four or five weeks, for every different situation is something we'll look to carry forward. It's not always about bowling top of off or drying up, it's how are we going to take wickets? That's what you need to do as a bowling attack, take 10 wickets.”
