Ashes 2023: England's Stuart Broad calls Edgbaston pitch 'characterless and soulless'

England fast bowler Stuart Broad has called the Edgbaston pitch 'characterless and soulless.' The comments were made by Broad to broadcasters after the end of the second day's play in the ongoing first Ashes Test. Notably, the veteran fast bowler, earlier on day 2, took two wickets in two balls.

"Hopefully it's not a trend for the whole series," Broad told the broadcasters after the stumps on day 2. The Edgbaston pitch is juxtaposed to England skipper Ben Stokes' demand for 'fast and flat tracks.' Stokes had made the request ahead of the start of the English summer season.

Broad, meanwhile, didn't hold back at all and went on to call the pitch 'slowest he can remember bowling on in England.'

"How can I be polite? It's a very slow, low surface that saps the energy out of the ball, would be the nice way to put it," Broad said. "It's been pretty characterless so far - a bit soulless. But ultimately you can only judge it towards the end of a Test match and see how it develops.

"It's certainly one of the slowest pitches I can remember bowling on in England. I think there was a stat that, for the Aussies in the first 10 overs, it moved the least-ever recorded. It has certainly been hard work for the seamers.

"Ultimately, we're looking to entertain and have fun and get the crowd jumping, and it's quite a difficult pitch to get plays-and-misses on and nicks to slip and stuff… these sorts of pitches are your worst nightmare when Steve Smith walks to the crease, to be honest," added the fast bowler.

As for the match, England came back strongly on day 3 to dismiss Australia for386 in their first innings and took a seven-run lead by lunch on day 3. Usman Khawaja scored a sublime 141 for Aussies and Broad and Ollie Robinson took three wickets each for England.

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