Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh on Sunday penned a farewell note for retiring England pacer Stuart Broad, calling him one of the "most feared" red-ball bowlers, whose international career has been an inspiration for many.
The 37-year-old pacer abruptly announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday, the third day of the fifth Ashes Test against Australia.
"Congratulations on an incredible Test career one of the finest and most feared red ball bowlers, and a real legend! Your journey and determination have been super inspiring. Good luck for the next leg Broady!" Yuvraj wrote on Twitter.
Yuvraj had become the first Indian to hit six sixes in an over in international cricket while facing Broad during the 2007 T20 World Cup in Durban.
Recollecting the episode, Broad said it was a tough day but that incident triggered his evolution.
"It was obviously a pretty tough day. What would I have been: 21, 22? (22) I learned loads. I pretty much based a whole mental routine through that experience knowing that I was left very short as an international performer in that moment," Broad had said in the press conference at The Oval on Saturday.
"I'd rushed my preparation. I didn't have any sort of pre-ball routine. I didn't have any focus, particularly, and I started building my 'warrior mode' that I call it after that experience.
"Ultimately, of course, I wish that didn't happen. I think what really helped me was it was a dead rubber, so it didn't feel like I'd knocked us out of the World Cup or something. But I think it steeled me up to make me the competitor I am to this day and has driven me forward a huge amount."
Retiring Broad is a special cricketer: Dravid
India head coach Rahul Dravid has described the retiring England fast bowler Stuart Broad as a "special cricketer", whose great partnership with James Anderson will be remembered for ages.
"He (Broad) has been a terrific bowler, he has been a great. His partnership with Jimmy Anderson will always be remembered," Dravid said after India lost to West Indies by six wickets in the second ODI in Bridgetown.
"Anderson and Broad the whole decade they played for England, they have really put in some fantastic performances," said the batting legend and former India captain.
"To take 600 wickets and to play the number of Test matches he has takes a special kind of cricketer," he added.
Dravid congratulated Broad on a wonderful career.
"My best wishes to him and congratulations on a fantastic career. I hope he gets to finish it off in the best possible way he wants to," he said.
Broad has been a key member of the England Test side since making his debut against Sri Lanka in December 2007. He will retire with 167 caps, and is the second highest Test wicket-taker after Anderson among pacers. He had taken 600 wickets before the ongoing final Ashes Test.
The right-arm seamer, who made his first-class debut for Leicestershire in 2005 and later moved to Nottinghamshire, has played 121 ODIs and 56 T20 Internationals, picking up 178 and 65 wickets respectively.
