Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad has defiantly stood by his controversial pre-series assessment, refusing to retract his label of the current Australian team as the "worst since 2010" even after they clinched the Ashes 2025-26 series in a mere 11 days.
Broad's Unapologetic Stance Post-Ashes Humiliation
Speaking on his 'For The Love of Cricket' podcast following Australia's decisive victory and an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, Broad was asked if he regretted his bold statement. His response was unequivocal: "Do I regret saying that? No." He clarified that his original analysis was based on the potential swing in the contest, stating he believed Australia would have to play very poorly and England exceptionally well for the urn to change hands.
Broad admitted that this scenario never materialised. "Australia haven’t played very badly and England haven’t played very well," he conceded. While he acknowledged Australia were always favourites on home soil, the sheer margin of their dominance caught him off guard. "I had Australia down as favourites, but I didn’t have them down as 3–0 favourites," Broad said.
Missed Opportunities and Relentless Pressure
The ex-pacer pointed out that several factors had aligned in England's favour before the series began, which made their comprehensive defeat more disappointing. He highlighted the absence of key Australian players: Pat Cummins missed the first two Tests, Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of the series so far due to injury, and Steve Smith was absent for the Adelaide Test. Despite these advantages, Broad concluded that England were simply not up to the mark. "England haven’t been good enough ultimately," he said, while praising the hosts' clinical approach. "Australia have been relentless in what they’ve done. They’ve showed age is just a number."
Broad's comments were echoed by England captain Ben Stokes after the Adelaide defeat, who admitted that Australia managed the crucial moments better and that handling pressure was the primary reason for the hosts' rapid 3-0 lead.
Historical Comparisons and a Blunt Assessment
When comparing this Australian side to its predecessors, Broad remained steadfast in his view. He specifically referenced the formidable 2013-14 team led by Michael Clarke, which famously terrorised England with Mitchell Johnson's pace. "Do I think the side of 2013–14 man for man was a better side? Yes, probably still," Broad asserted.
He elaborated further, suggesting that while the current team might not boast superior individual talent compared to other Australian sides since 2010-11, their collective execution was flawless. "I don’t think individually they are better than any other team since 2010–11, but they’ve been relentless in the pressure they’ve managed to put on England, as have every Australian team since 2010," he explained. Dismissing the notion that England's position was shocking, Broad bluntly added, "England losing 3–0 by the third Test is not something new... I don’t disagree with my comment. England have been at 20 per cent of their ability."
