Test cricket is BACK: Stuart Board....How embracing data helped the evolution of a master bowler...
'data can guide you, but success still comes down to execution.'
In the lead-up to the 2019 Ashes, Broad wasn’t in great form. He knew something wasn’t quite right, so he sat down with his coach and analyst to dig into the numbers. Their theory was quickly confirmed, he was letting batsmen leave too many deliveries. At his best, only 15% of his balls went untouched, but when that number crept above 30%, his impact faded.
This insight triggered a transformation. Broad focused on making batsmen play more, forcing errors. But he didn’t stop there. Left-handers had long been his weakness, so he studied the data and adjusted his approach, realizing that bowling around the wicket could be his secret weapon. By 2019, he was doing it 93% of the time, dismantling David Warner seven times in a single Ashes series.
He is an example of how to use data... He stayed true to himself (bail-switching antics and all!) but listened when the numbers told him...change or crash.
And that’s why he became one of England’s greatest fast bowlers.
