Yuvraj Singh’s historic six sixes molded me into the competitor I am today: Stuart Broad

England’s veteran pacer, Stuart Broad, looked back on a defining moment in his cricketing career, attributing his transformation into a formidable competitor to Yuvraj Singh’s iconic six sixes during the 2007 T20 World Cup clash between India and England in Durban. In a press conference, Broad acknowledged that the unforgettable encounter, was instrumental in shaping his mental approach to the game.

The momentous match on September 19, 2007, saw Yuvraj Singh, in a sensational display of power-hitting, become the first batsman to dispatch six consecutive sixes in an over during a T20 International. The 22-year-old Broad found himself on the receiving end of Yuvraj’s ferocious assault, as the Indian batsman sent the ball soaring into all corners of the stadium, propelling India’s total beyond the formidable 200-run mark.

Reflecting on that day, Broad admitted, “Yeah, 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. 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.”

“You obviously go through massive peaks and troughs, and when you look at someone like Stokesy’s career, he’s done that sort of thing as well. Most players have. But ultimately I think it’s that bounce-back ability and that ability to be able to put poor days behind you because certainly one thing over the past whatever – 15, 16 years – you have a lot more bad days than good days in cricket so you have to be able to deal with them to make sure your good days can flourish,” Broad concluded.