Stuart Broad admits 'regret' over calling Pakistan a poor side

LONDON: Former right-arm pacer Stuart Broad has admitted that he regrets his earlier assessment of Pakistan, after initially labelling them a “poor side” ahead of their ongoing Test series against England.

Speaking during a recent podcast interview on the YouTube channel 'For the Love of Cricket', Broad reflected on his comments, which he made twice, first before the series and again ahead of the Lord’s Test.

Before the second Test, the pace maestro had doubled down on his assessment, backing England to complete a 3-0 series victory and describing anything less as a major disappointment.

“I don’t know what we can really know about this team, but, as I said in the last podcast, which quite a few Pakistani fans took exception to, Pakistan are a poor side and England should win this series 3-0. If they don’t, it would be an absolute disaster. I haven’t changed my opinion on that at all. England should win this Test series 3-0; they’ve simply got a stronger side,” Broad had said.

However, the 40-year-old acknowledged that his initial assessment was misplaced, revealing that he received significant feedback from Pakistani supporters after describing the team as poor, with their reaction highlighting the immense passion, pride and emotional connection that remains within the country for cricket.

Broad also recognised the wealth of talent available in Pakistan, particularly among its fast bowlers and batters, who he believes possess the ability to compete at the highest level.

“I said before the series that I felt Pakistan were a poor side, and I got a lot of messages and notes on social media from Pakistan. It showed me how much passion, love and drive there still is for Pakistan cricket," Broad said.

"There’s so much passion for the game in that country, and there’s talent there. They have bowlers who bowl at 140 clicks and batters who can hit the ball,” he added.

Broad subsequently clarified that he now regretted calling Pakistan a poor side, saying the remark unfairly placed the responsibility for the team's struggles on the players.

Having observed Pakistan across two Test matches, he said he now believes the problems lie deeper within the country's cricketing structure, pointing towards the hierarchy, selection process and frequent coaching changes as key issues.

“I actually regret saying they were a poor side because I feel that blamed the players. Now that I’ve seen them operate in two Test matches, I can quite clearly see that it’s the hierarchy, the selection and the changes in coaching that are the issues,” he stated.