Sir Ian Botham has revealed that he would have picked Stuart Broad as man of the Ashes series rather than Joe Root.
The 29-year-old took 21 wickets over the course of the series, including a spell of 8-15 to guide England to victory at Trent Bridge in the fourth Test, which helped them regain the urn.
Botham believes that the quality Broad's bowling was the difference between the sides, despite Root's two centuries in the series which saw him awarded the Compton-Miller award.
He told Sky Sports News: "When he gets it right, he is unstoppable. There was that spell at Durham in the last Ashes in 2013 where he bowled out Australia to win the series, and at The Oval in 2009. But now at Trent Bridge too.
"Broad has been terrific. I would have gone - surprise, surprise - for the bowler, Broad over Root, as player of the series. It would have been close but I think that's where England won it - the bowlers were consistently better, and didn't let their captain down.
"I think Michael Clarke was let down a few times by his bowlers."
Broad is currently ranked second in the ICC bowling rankings.
Simon Sinclair
