Broad joins Nottinghamshire

England seamer Stuart Broad has signed with Nottinghamshire from 2008, the county where his father Chris opened the batting for nine seasons. He joins on a four-year contract.

There had been plenty of speculation in recent weeks about whether Broad would remain at Leicestershire and it does not come as a huge surprise that he has moved to a county on the verge of promotion and based at a Test ground.

"I'm proud to have represented Leicestershire since I first appeared in their Under-nine representative side and I owe the county a lot," he said. "But I just feel that the time is right for a change and the chance to move to Trent Bridge is very attractive to me. I believe there is no better place for me to play - and continue my improvement as a cricketer in a team capable of winning trophies.

"People will automatically assume that I've chosen Nottinghamshire because I grew up on the boundary edge while my dad was there as a player, but it is very much my decision to move to Trent Bridge."

Chris Broad confirmed to Cricinfo that he had no hand in the move: "I had no influence on him coming to Notts. All I said to him is that he must go with his gut feelings after all he's the one who has got to go out in the middle and perform therefore he's got to be happy.

"I am obviously delighted that everything has been signed and sealed quickly so that the speculation doesn't drag on whilst Stuart is actively playing. Notts has been, and remains, a well-organised, friendly club but deeply ambitious. All that remains for them to do is get promoted to the first division!"

Broad junior admitted he had considered waiting until the end of the season to find out if Nottinghamshire had been promoted. "It was a thought but once I decided where I wanted to play, it didn't really matter either way. I'm confident they'll go up."

Mick Newell said Nottinghamshire had to fight off a lot of interest of other counties. "As soon as we knew that Stuart would be available we had to be interested - but so were a lot of other counties. I know that he's had some very good offers to consider and we're delighted he has agreed to join us.

"He's the best young prospect in this country and further down the line, I'm sure he will be a regular in the England team. But he's still very young with a lot to learn and we're really pleased that he has chosen to do that with us."

Despite Broad's rise into the England team, Newell believes he will still be available for a significant amount of county cricket. "If Stuart was already playing regularly in the England team, I would have thought more carefully about signing him," he said. "But I think Peter Moores wants him to play more county cricket and develop his game.

"We can help him do that and he can certainly help us. Bowling on Trent Bridge pitches with their carry, bounce and swing will suit his style and having him available is an exciting prospect for next season.

"Obviously Stuart has a strong affiliation with Trent Bridge because his father Chris opened the batting for Notts for many years, but I'm not sure that influenced his decision too much. He's an ambitious young man who is determined to make his own mark in the game."

Jeremy Snape, Leicestershire's club captain, added: "It is very disappointing for us. He's been outstanding and exceeded expectations throughout the last few years. He obviously feels it's a personal decision and the next stage in his career."