It’s been a while since Stuart Broad donned the whites of his county. 21 months, to be precise.

The world has been turned upside down in ways he could not have imagined since then, but the delight Broad finds in representing Nottinghamshire has not changed one iota, as he reflects on being back at Trent Bridge for Notts’ LV= Insurance County Championship fixture against Warwickshire. 

“It is very special, I love playing at this place”, Broad told Trent Bridge Live.

“It has got an aura about it, even when there is no one here.

“We are still missing our fans, but that is going to be an exciting time when we eventually get our supporters back in.”

Having spent significant time out of the camp due to Covid-19 protocols, Broad has found a host of new faces on his return, but is excited at the direction in which the club is heading.

“There were players I met for the first time in the kit photoshoot. That is how sport moves on, it is the natural nature of sport, but it’s great to play with players I have not played with before like Lyndon James in this game,” he said. 

“The changing room at the moment is as hungry as I have ever seen it, which makes it an exciting place to be - and it is a very talented changing room as well.”

That talent has been on display on Broad’s return, but the man himself has had a vital role to play with three wickets in Warwickshire’s first innings.

And the 34-year-old is hoping his side can press home their advantage on day three.

“We will definitely be wanting to have a solid start tomorrow morning, build until lunch and, if we are in a good position with batsmen in, we can accelerate,” he said.

“We want to put more wear into the pitch, more wear into their players, build pressure on them, take pressure off us, and leave ourselves enough time if possible to get 10 wickets. But that’s another day away yet, we need to build up slowly tomorrow.”

Broad will be hoping to play a vital part in getting those ten wickets when the time does come, but whether the paceman is representing his county or his country, total commitment is guaranteed.

“I’ve probably not been able to take as many wickets as I could have done for Notts because I have played for England, very fortunately, for a long period of time," he said.

"But, whenever I come back here, the members know that I try my hardest all the time. I am desperate to take wickets and have an influence on games.

“I have been very lucky to win a lot of games with Notts, but to have an influence on winning here this season would be brilliant.”

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Tickets to witness Notts Outlaws’ defence of their Vitality Blast title in 2021 are now on general sale.