Raising Awareness of Motor Neurone Disease

If you have been a Stuart Broad fan for the last few years, you know what Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is. It is something the Broad family's been keenly talking about and fundraising for through The Broad Appeal (TBA) for the last three years due to the unfortunate passing of Chris Broad's wife, Miche Broad.

For those who are unaware of MND, it is a neurological disease that attacks motor neurons in the body which leads to eventual paralysis of the entire body.  MND victims at the end of their lives can only hear, see and feel. Terrifying isn't it? It gets worse. It is passed on from generation-to-generation and there are no tests at the moment to determine if a person has MND. It is diagnosed through an elimination process. Even if one is diagnosed, they cannot be cured as there is no cure for MND at the moment. Therefore it is imperative to help researchers find a cure. For that they require funding and this is where we get to come in and help as much as we possibly can.  

The month of June is MND Awareness month! So if you are on Twitter, Facebook or a keen blogger... tweet, post or blog your little heart out about MND! Let people know what it is! The 21st of June is MND Awareness day! A movie about the last few months of another unfortunate MND victim - Neil Platt - is about to be released. The movie's called 'I Am Breathing'! 50% of the proceedings from the movie will be going to MND Association (MNDA) so if you can, please go and see the movie. It is said to be released internationally on the 21st of June. You can read more about Neil's story here: I Am Breathing.

If you want to be a part of Global Screening Day of 'I Am Breathing' please go to the following link: http://www.iambreathingfilm.com/

Keep Neil, Miche, many others who've lost the battle against MND and currently battling MND in mind when you make a donation to MNDA, TBA or anyone who is fundraising for MND!

If you  want to make a donation here are the websites:
MND Association - http://www.mndassociation.org/
The Broad Appeal - http://www.thebroadappeal.org/
There are also plenty of justgiving pages fundraising for MND - so check out their stories as well at the following links: Story 1, Story 2, Story 3, Story 4, Story 5, Story 6, Story 7, etc.

Love, The Broadettes xxx

My World in Cricket

Stuart Broad's newest book was released last month. A few lucky Broadettes got to meet the superstar himself at one of his book signings! They've read his book, have you? If not, grab it here. Reviews from the Broadettes coming soon!

Stuart Broad was born to be a cricketer. His skills with the ball and bat have made him world famous, but what is it like to be the star of the England cricket team? From the techniques and tactics he has learned, to preparing himself for action, both mentally and physically, Broad reveals the inside secrets of top-level cricket, and how anyone can apply them to their own game, either in club or schoolboy cricket. He divulges what life is like for an international cricketer, and how he copes with the pressures of life on tour. Illustrated throughout with key moments in his career and specially commissioned new photographs, this book also provides great stories of sporting heroes, setbacks and successes. Stuart Broad's world in cricket is laid bare.

End of an Era: Strauss Announces Retirement from Professional Cricket

It's fair to say that today is a sad day for English cricket; but it is also a day we can look back at someone’s career and appreciate all that he has done for England as a player and as a fantastic captain. 

Andrew Strauss announced his retirement from professional cricket. He's been one of our favourite captains thus far and we doubt that's going to change anytime soon. As sad as we are to see ‘Straussey’ retire, we believe he’s made the right choice for the England team. He stated in the press conference earlier today that his decision to retire from cricket was purely based on the fact that he has not been scoring runs like he should have and that he believes he’s ‘run his race.’ It is nice to see cricketers out there who call it quits with their dignity and integrity intact. Shows that they do not go after money and fame like some of them do.

Strauss has done so much over the years since his test debut in 2004. He scored a century on debut, has gotten 7000+ test runs, has gone on to win 100 Test caps, captained the side in 50 of those matches, scored 21 Test centuries & six ODI hundreds, has been part of three Ashes wins in which he's captained two and has helped England get to No.1 in Test cricket! The list goes on! Since the appointment of his captaincy —and Andy Flower coming in as England coach— we've had the opportunity to see the team grow and overcome so many obstacles and boundaries to reach goals. He has stressed over and over the importance of trust and respect within a team. We believe the two Andys were the backbone behind building that trust and respect within the strong England side we see today; and for that we believe we should thank and applaud them.

Integrity, humility, dedication, magnanimity, assertiveness, fairness, calmness and selflessness are a few of the many qualities Strauss had! He epitomises a great leader. He’s been a selfless cricketer, shying away from the limelight whenever possible, when it came to personal milestones. That is rare in the world of cricket nowadays with so many players caring more about their personal fame, fortune and reputation, rather than the team’s overall image. 

We believe he’s been one of England’s BEST captains so far! We will miss the talented, calm, cool, smiley, level-headed and lovely character whenever we watch England come out to bat or field. He’s an England legend in our eyes.

Before concluding, we’ve picked our top 5 moments in Straussey’s career...

TOP 5 ANDREW STRAUSS MOMENTS

1. Test debut and maiden century at Lord’s his home ground...

2. One of the defining moments of the 2005 Ashes series - catching Adam Gilchrist off of Andrew Flintoff at Trent Bridge...

3. Captained the England side in England's first Ashes win down under since 1987...

4. Took England to the top of world Test rankings by defeating India...

5. 100th Test appearance and 50 as captain at Lord’s...

We want to wish the very best of luck to you, Straussey. We are proud of your achievements and we want to thank you for all the great memories. It has been an absolute pleasure to watch you play, captain and lead the England team to glory. Thank you!

As one era comes to a close another begins. All the best to Alastair Cook, the newly appointed England Test captain. May this be a long and successful career as England's Test captain! 

Will never forget the day Strauss demolished his sunglasses - not on purpose obviously! Enjoy the clip below ;)

~ The Broadettes ~

Meeting the blonde beanpole, Stuart Broad

You know how you have everything planned for when you meet your favourite cricketer, actor, musician etc and everything tend to crumble at that critical moment when you do meet them? Yep, that happened to me, yesterday at the Oval (Day 1 of the 1st Test match against the South Africans).

For those who do not know me that well, I have been a fan of  Stuart Broad  for over 5 years now. I have always wanted to meet him but never had the opportunity because I live in Canada. It may sound stupid, weird, crazy or even a bit melodramatic to some of you cricket lovers, but when you’ve supported someone over the years simply because he/she is a talented cricketer, a down-to-earth character who has an unbelievable passion for the game and who is not money driven like most people these day, it is just natural to want to meet that said person. Not only for the sake of being able to tell everyone you've met him/her but also to thank him/her for being the person that he/she is. At least I’d like to think so. Stuart Broad in my opinion is a rare gem in the world of cricket.

Despite being alone (because my friend/fellow Broadette Jayna had to leave early) and not knowing how I’d be able to get a hold of the Stuart, I stood near the pavilion of  The Oval  after the match with a few cricket fans waiting to catch a glimpse of the England and South African players. I had only one thing in mind. Meet Stuart, get his book signed, somehow manage to take a photo and leave! :) 

Most players (not going to mention names as I'm sure they just wanted to get back to the hotel soon) just walked past the awaiting fans. Stuart and Matt Prior came along and everyone started yelling out Stuart's name. Kinda felt bad for Matty P cause he's an awesome person as well, but no one bothered talking to him.  As soon as I spotted Stuart, I just extended my book to him and was talking to him while he signed the book. It was weird and a bit funny now reliving the moment. I remember being a nervous-wreck. Forgot to mention who I was (he knows me by name) but somehow managed to get the following words out: 'Stuart, would you mind posing for a photo really quick?' He looked at me and said ' Yeah of course!' He proved something right there. He said he never turned down a photo request by a fan. The fact that he did not know me right then, but still agreed to pose for a photo speaks volumes about the guy he is. One of the fans who were standing outside with me wanting to shake hands with the players, volunteered to take a photo of me and Stuart :) Whoever you are, THANK YOU! :) 

I thanked Stuart and the guy who took the photo really quick (don't think they heard me though) and ran like the wind. Forgot which way the tube station was due to all the excitement! Best day of my life - to date! Will never forget that moment! Right after, I tweeted Stuart and thanked him for the photo and autograph. He messaged me back saying 'just seen this. glad it happened'. Little moments like these make fans like me very happy. Truly was the best day ever. 

To those who haven't met Stuart yet, when you do meet him, stay calm. He's the most sweetest/friendliest person ever. He won't run off if he knows you want a picture and an autograph :) 

Let me finish off this blog post by sharing my photo with you :)

Me (wearing the Broad #8 shirt) with the fantastic man himself, Stuart Broad

Happiest girl on the planet! :) Next time when I do meet him - and there will be a next time - I'm gonna stay calm and not panic ;) Will definitely have a proper conversation then! :)

Jay x

Broad Appeal Tournament Cancelled

Some of us Broadettes were planning on meeting up at this 6 a side charity game. Sadly, it's been cancelled. For more details go to the Broad Appeal website.

Tom Maynard

Just heard the news about Tom Maynard. So awful. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family.

A note from a young fan :)

Hey! My name is Aaliya Syed and I live in Pakistan. I am 14 years old. I have been a cricket fan since I was 9. Cricket is my obsession (even more since broady is playing). The cricketing world is an amazing platform to unite fans all over the world together and gives everyone a chance to express their feelings.

I am a huge fan of Stuart Broad as he is one of the cutest and most dashing players of all time. He has the ideal personality and his passion for cricket affects me too. I saw him in an England vs Pakistan match which was his first ever international match. When I saw him I actually thought that he is made for the England Crickcet Team. To me, he he is the reason the England team shines during matches. He is the heartbeat of this Broadette. I can see his strength whenever he playes a match.

Lastly, I would like to wish him the best of luck with his cricketing career. I would love to meet him one day.