Stuart Broad: World Cricket's Bowler of the Month, July 2015

Stuart Broad is a player who divides opinion. While the vast majority of England's fans love him, nearly all of Australia's supporters love to hate him.

When at his best, he is one of those bowlers who can produce a magical spell that suddenly turns a game on its head.

Just think back to the fifth Test of the 2009 Ashes series when, as a young, raw seamer, he took four wickets in eight balls to effectively seal the Ashes for England on Day 2 at the Oval.

Fast-forward to 2013, when he wiped away any chance Australia had of winning in Durham, with a six-wicket haul in the fourth innings, with all of his victims picked up in the space of 45 deliveries.

Don't forget, Broad is a member of a select group that has taken two Test hat-tricks. The only other bowlers to do so are Hugh Tumble, Jimmy Matthews and Wasim Akram.

Broad took three wickets in as many balls in 2011 against India at his home ground of Trent Bridge and then repeated the feat three years later against Sri Lanka.

He sits in fifth position on England’s all-time list of wicket-takers too, as he stands on the brink of becoming only the fifth Englishman to reach the milestone of 300 Test scalps.

Yet still, despite all that he has achieved, there is a feeling that Broad is under-appreciated.

Australians despise him after he refused to walk in the first Ashes Test of the 2013 series.

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Although he got enough wood on the ball to nick an Ashton Agar delivery to first slip, Broad stood there looking like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. With the umpire unmoved and with the opposition having no referrals left, he somehow pulled off a great escape that David Copperfield would've been proud of.

Perhaps Broad doesn't get enough praise from his own countrymen because there's no happy medium with his bowling.

When he's good, he’s great. But, when he’s out of sorts, his bowling too often becomes cannon fodder. He can frustrate and delight in equal measure.

However, in July, Broad was a consistent performer for England in Test action.

The chance to take on Australia in an Ashes series once again inspired him, as he picked up 12 wickets in the three matches played during the month at an average of 27.41.

He was outstanding on a pitch in the second Test at Lord’s that resembled a road, with his first-innings figures of four for 83 a rare highlight in a heavy defeat.

England bounced back in style in the next match in Birmingham, with Broad playing a supporting role as both James Anderson and Steven Finn ripped through Australia’s fragile batting order.

While Joe Root pulled down Broad's pants in practice, as seen in the YouTube video below, it was the tourists who were left embarrassed by the final result at Edgbaston.

England's only setback in the third Test, though, was the side strain Anderson suffered late on Day 2.

The injury will keep the Lancashire bowler—the talisman of the national team's attack—sidelined for the fourth Test at least, according to BBC Sport.

In Anderson's absence, Broad will have to become the spearhead for his skipper, Alastair Cook. 

It is a role he will no doubt relish—he rarely backs down from a challenge, even if a confrontation occurs just as he's walking out to bat, per Aaron Flanagan of the Mirror.

Kevin Pietersen has backed his old international team-mate to lead the way for England, writing in his Telegraph column: “A lot of people said before the series that if we lose Jimmy it is a huge blow, but I have been encouraged by how Stuart Broad has bowled on all the surfaces. I think he understands you get judged on Ashes series so it is good to see he has stepped up again.”

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Don’t be fooled by the innocent smile—Broad is a fierce competitor.

He coped admirably with being booed throughout an entire tour of Australia in 2013/14, with the home fans letting him know exactly what they thought of his decision not to walk in the previous series.

The Courier Mail in Brisbane took their dislike of the player to an extreme level, even refusing to use his name. Instead, he was referred to as "a 27-year-old English medium pace bowler." 

Despite being cast as the pantomime villain, Broad keeps coming back to the stage for more.

He has been excellent over the past month, but he cannot now let his standards slip in August if England are to regain the Ashes.

Perhaps if the hosts do go on to win the series, with Broad leading the bowling unit to glory in Anderson's absence, he will finally get the praise he deserves. Just don't expect any Australian to join in the applause.

For now, however, he will have to make do with the honour of being named our Bowler of the Month for July.