‘What’s This Guy Waving His Bat Around For?’ England Legend Opens Up On Ravindra Jadeja's

Ravindra Jadeja’s trademark sword celebration has become one of the most recognisable sights in modern cricket, but not everyone has been a fan of the bat-swinging ritual. Former England pacer Stuart Broad has admitted that the celebration used to irritate him during his playing.

Speaking on the 'For the Love of Cricket' podcast, Broad looked back at his battles with Jadeja and revealed that the celebrations after reaching a half-century particularly got under his skin. The former England seamer questioned why Jadeja treated a fifty with so much.

What Happened

Broad did not hold back when explaining what bothered him about Ravindra Jadeja’s signature move. His celebration used to annoy me a bit, like, what’s this guy waving his bat around for a 50?

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• Jadeja heads into the series in encouraging form after scoring 63 in India’s warm-up game against Sri Lanka Cricket XI and taking four wickets across the two innings.

Key Details

I remember saying to him on a few occasions that batters actually average 50 and that you are carrying on like this. The comment was delivered with a touch of humour, but Broad's admiration for Jadeja was clear.

• The praise comes just ahead of India’s two-Test tour of Sri Lanka, beginning in Galle on August 15.

• He had a bit of a hybrid role as well, where sometimes he would come out at 5 with the ball swinging around.

• Buttler also pointed to Jadeja’s flexibility in the batting order, noting that he has often been required to come in at No.

Why It Matters

Despite finding the celebration excessive, he acknowledged that the all-rounder’s numbers and value to India were impossible to ignore. His numbers are phenomenal to the point where they never knew whether to play him or Ravi Ashwin in England.

• With his batting especially, when the game was tight, he always seemed to stand up.

• With him, I think about moments, and he’s a proper gutsy player.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by Outlook India as more details emerge