Broad aims to follow dad's footsteps

England seamer Stuart Broad is determined to make his first Ashes series a winning one this summer

Stuart Broad has set his sights on emulating his father - former England opening batsman Chris - by winning the Ashes.

Broad senior was part of Mike Gatting’s side which triumphed 2-1 in Australia in 1986/87 when Stuart was just six months old.

Now the Nottinghamshire all-rounder wants to experience the same euphoria - starting with tomorrow’s opening clash at Cardiff.

Broad junior said: “My dad is very proud of his achievements and the whole family are. He got the man of the series on that 1986-87 tour.

“He remembers England had been written off at the start and didn’t build up well to the Tests, but the way they played in the series was superb and they got everyone behind them.

“My dad always says I will never eclipse what he did in his career until I win an Ashes series so that is certainly an aim of mine!

“Mind you, I’ve already won more Tests than he did. We beat New Zealand at Old Trafford last year when Straussy (Andrew Strauss) got a great hundred and the first text I had was from dad saying ‘you’ve now won more Tests than I ever achieved’.

“But he has got Test match hundreds and that is an aim of mine as well. We want to win this Ashes series and hopefully we can play exciting cricket.”

Broad is mindful of looking too far ahead and is shutting out the memory of watching the joyous scenes and open top bus parade in London after England’s 2005 Ashes triumph.

He said: “People ask are you conscious winning the Ashes can make you a big hero but it is not really something you think of.

“You don’t really concentrate on that when you are building up to an Ashes series.

“You try to keep the build-up as normal as possible and just focus on what you are going to do that first morning of an Ashes series and take it from there really.

Chris Broad, now an ICC match referee, was man-of-the-series when England won the Ashes Down Under in 1986/87

“You get into hot water if you look too far ahead and what could happen.

“The key is to focus on how we, as a team and individuals, are going to approach this first Ashes Test to make sure we get off on the right foot.”

Broad is hoping there will be some life in the Cardiff pitch to give encouragement to batsmen and bowlers.

He said: “I have only played seven or eight balls of a one-dayer against South Africa at Cardiff since the ground was revamped and then it rained.

“But no-one wants to see slow and low wickets. We played on three or four of those in the Caribbean last winter and it was quite turgid and hard cricket, not just to play in but to watch as spectators.”