Had retirement thoughts after axed for first Test, says Broad

London, Aug 2 (IANS) Veteran England pacer Stuart Broad has said he did think about calling it a day after being axed for last month's opening Test against West Indies.Broad finished the third Test between England and West Indies with a match haul of 10 for 67 during which he touched the milestone of 500 Test wickets.Broad is just the seventh bowler -- and second Englishman after James Anderson -- to go past 500 Test wickets. He is also one among four fast-bowlers to achieve this impressive feat."Were there thoughts of retirement going round my head? 100%. Because I was so down," Broad told Daily Mail on Sunday."I was expecting to play, which is always a bit of a dangerous thing in sport but I felt I deserved to play."When Stokesy [Ben Stokes] told me I wasn't playing, I felt my body go into shakes. I could barely speak."He added: "I have not really told anyone this but I was so down that week of the first Test, I was really low. I was stuck in that hotel. I couldn't go anywhere. It wasn't like I could go back to [girlfriend] Mollie and have a barbeque and chill out and reassess."I didn't sleep for two days. I was nowhere. A different decision could definitely have been made with my emotions of how I was feeling."Broad, who is now targeting 600 Test wickets, also revealed that Stokes, who was captaining in England in the first Test in the absence of Joe Root, then played a key role."Stokesy knocked on my door on the Thursday night and stayed in the corridor to talk to me. He said: 'This isn't about cricket, but how are you, mate?' That was very impressive for him to do."
--IANS dm/pks/sdr/