England pacers Stuart Broad and James Anderson have picked up close to 1600 international wickets for the country and are confident of remaining in shape for the next Ashes Test series in Australia as well. The duo chatted in an Instagram LIVE session on Friday (April 24) where they discussed who troubled them the most among other topics.

Broad began by saying that former South African skipper and opener Graeme Smith was a nightmare to bowl to because in swingers from right-arm-over were his strength and kept the bowlers at bay in that area.

He said, “Graeme Smith, I found an absolute nightmare. I wish I could have bowled at him having worked on my around the wicket stuff and try and draw him to drive through extra cover. But for me just over the wicket trying to swing it into the stumps, hopeless.”

Anderson had also faced the same issue early in his career and agreed with Broad.

He said, “I had exactly the same problem. When I first started, my first series against him was 2003 and all I could do then was swing the ball back in. I didn't have an out-swinger to a left-hander and I couldn't wobble the ball across him. So I was just feeding his strength. I just go so annoyed.”

The next Ashes Test series will be played at the end of 2021 and both these pacers believe that they will be able to play in the series with utmost fitness.

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The 33-year-old Broad said, “I'm loving the environment at the minute. I love playing for England. I still have a huge motivation to keep playing and you just assess that year by year. And we've got that carrot dangling over us of Australia in Australia which looks like an achievable carrot to grab.”

“The big thing is the standards. If your standards feel like they're dropping then yeah you might consider finishing. But as long as my standards stay high, my fitness levels stay good and my skills stay where I want them to be and my speed stays pretty good which they have been (I'll keep playing),” the 37-year-old Anderson said.

(With inputs from IANS)