PCA PRESS RELEASE
Test Player of the Summer speaks after setting the summer alight.
The Test Player of the Summer Stuart Broad has spoken of his desire to “protect what he has” and carry on his excellent form into next year and beyond.
Broad, 34, was left out of the first Test Match of the summer against the West Indies but came back during the next five fixtures to win the award, claiming 29 wickets and earning 146.5 MVP points in the process – no other player earned more than 120.
However, Broad says that his motivation to continue producing on the international stage doesn’t come from being left out of the team, rather from an inner knowledge that he still has the skill set to contribute to Test Match wins for England.
The fast bowler took his 500th Test wicket against the West Indies – becoming only the third paceman in history to do so – and hopes to continue his rich vein of form into future appearances for England, although he admits that he does not currently know when that might be.
“We won’t remember this summer just for being affected by Covid-19 and being quite strange,” Broad reflected, “but also for some incredible moments on the field as well which is what sport’s all about.
“It’s been an honour to get out on the field this summer and play, to see Jimmy (Anderson) take 600 wickets and Zak (Crawley) score a 250, and to win both Test series at the same time.
“This summer, we weren’t just playing to win matches, though, we were playing for entertainment and to make sure that people were enjoying it.
“I wouldn’t say I was motivated by being left out of the first Test of the summer, the motivation came more from a place of knowing that I was bowling well, and wanting to get back out there and contribute to the team.
“My job now is to continue that into next year. I’ve got no cricket now until January at the earliest and I need to protect what I have, in a way. I’d love to be able to do that.”
Full list of NatWest Cricket Award winners:
- NatWest PCA Men’s Player of the Year – Chris Woakes (England / Warwickshire)
- NatWest PCA Women’s Player of the Year – Sarah Glenn (England Women)
- Vitality PCA Young Player of the Year – Zak Crawley (England / Kent)
- Test Player of the Summer – Stuart Broad
- Royal London ODI Player of the Summer – David Willey
- Vitality IT20 Player of the Summer – Dawid Malan
- Bob Willis Trophy Player of the Year – Craig Overton (Somerset)
- Vitality Blast Player of the Year – Will Jacks (Surrey)
- Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Player of the Year – Georgia Adams (Southern Vipers)
- Greene King Team of the Year – Alastair Cook (Essex), Jake Libby (Worcestershire), Tom Lammonby (Somerset), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Will Jacks (Surrey), Chris Cooke (Glamorgan) [wk], Ryan Higgins (Gloucestershire), Craig Overton (Somerset), Simon Harmer (Essex) [c], Josh Davey (Somerset)
- ECB Special Award – Prof Nick Peirce (ECB)
- #Raisethebat Award – Jane Reeson (Over CC, Cambridgeshire)
- Connecting Communities Award – Jamie Saunders (Isleham CC, Cambridgeshire)
- Proactive Leadership Award – Miles Horner (Macclesfield CC, Cheshire)
About NatWest’s partnership with cricket:
NatWest has been involved in cricket for 39 years, supporting cricket communities from the ground up. Its sponsorship starts with community club cricket and extends to the pinnacle of the game, as the principal partner of England Cricket men’s, women’s, age-groups, disability and VI teams.
NatWest CricketForce is an annual event that has helped thousands of clubs to upgrade their facilities and is the United Kingdom’s largest annual sport-volunteering programme. This year, NatWest adapted its programme to create a digital, six-week programme throughout July and August to help grassroot clubs get up and running – including free online financial advice and toolkits as well as providing clubs with PPE equipment.
Over 3200 clubs signed up for NatWest CricketForce this year, beating 2019’s record of 2200. Just under 3000 PPE kits have been sent to clubs and over 1300 club members have engaged with NatWest’s Club cricket financial guide, a financial toolkit to help clubs navigate through the difficult financial environment post-lockdown.
NatWest is also the main charity partner of Chance to Shine, which uses cricket to engage with children and young adults, aiding education, social cohesion and wellbeing.
To find out more about NatWest’s involvement in cricket at all levels of the game, head to: natwest.com/cricket
