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Fortified Broad ready for Australia

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Oliver Brett | 06:44 UK time, Friday, 18 June 2010

It will perhaps reassure his fans - and those mildly suspicious about coach Andy Flower's selection of certain players for "strengthening" work - that Stuart Broad has not morphed into during his absence from the England squad.

The 2-0 Test series win over Bangladesh was achieved without Broad, , before afternoon nets.

Still looking whippet-slim, England's top-ranked bowler in one-day internationals (he is officially 10th in the world) has a slight problem. He is not yet sure what his role will be when the World Cup comes around in the sub-continent next February.

Stuart Broad during the ICC World Twenty20Broad was a key member of the ICC World Twenty20-winning squad

In fact, at the time of his interview with me - barely a week before England play - he does not even know whether he will have the honour of bowling with the new ball this summer in ODIs.

"I've played 60 one-day internationals," he says. "I've opened the bowling 30 times and not opened the bowling 30 times. I feel I have the ability and the attributes to do both and am happy doing either.

"You always need different skills, slower balls and cutters, and you need to vary your pace. After four or five overs the white ball doesn't swing and you've got to find ways to get wickets."

Broad actually seemed to relish not taking the new ball during . He recollects: "I had the first change role, to be quite heavy and aggressive." And while the injury to Ryan Sidebottom makes Broad more likely to share the new ball against Australia with James Anderson, Tim Bresnan may yet be preferred.

With the uncertainty about specific roles so close to a World Cup (it starts next February), I suggest to Broad that the selectors and England's management need to settle on a core group of players now.

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There is, after all, a slight sense of chaos theory in terms of batting selection - Ian Bell in, Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott out - and the wicketkeeping berth, which has been

Broad does not answer my point directly, though he says there are "between 15 and 20 players who we know can perform" and suggests that any new arrivals, far from being overwhelmed or daunted, will instead take it as a cue to replicate the best of their county form.

"The formula of the selectors in the past year or so has been to pick players who have ability and temperament, and back them. When you're being backed by the hierarchy you have a lot less fear of failure and you can go out and express yourself.

"If you want to hit the first ball over the top for six you know the whole team's backing you to do that, it's a strong place to be as a team. We've had Eoin Morgan and Craig Kieswetter coming into the side and scoring one-day hundreds. That's important."

England start off their summer ODI campaign with an interesting trip to Edinburgh on Saturday to take on Scotland, but the Australians are the obvious draw card.

So what about Ricky Ponting's team? Beaten by England in last summer's Ashes and the final of the World Twenty20, they nevertheless remain the team to beat in 50-over cricket with a 6-1 series success here last summer the prelude to

Stuart Broad

While the bowling attack looks a little thin in terms of experience in English conditions, an awesome batting unit - featuring Ponting, Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke, Cameron White and Shane Watson - will surely make up for that.

"They are such a dangerous team with amazing players, but it's up to us to not focus on Australia too much and look at what we've done well in the past year," says Broad.

"There's a new-found confidence and momentum in the changing room. Australia will be very tough opponents but it's up to us to hit them hard with our skills.

"Everyone's excited about getting going. We have a new formula with one-day cricket which led to us winning in South Africa - I think we were only the second side to win a series there - and then Bangladesh. It's up to us to continue that momentum this summer."

Broad also answered some questions , and here are his answers:

From "Is there ever a day you don't wake up and regret leaving Leicestershire?"

Broad: Grace Road holds a very fond place in my heart. I played for the under-10s, though I got left out of the under-16 squad, and really enjoyed my time there. I had a really good coach in Tim Boon and learnt a lot from the likes of Darren Maddy and Paul Nixon, but division one cricket was where I needed to be to be playing my international cricket so my move to Notts was a hugely positive thing in my career.

From : "What do you think of being able to play as yourself in a video game?"

Broad: "It's good fun if a little bit surreal. I always make sure I'm captain and open the batting and bowling. It's amazing how lifelike the players are. There's a new game which is very good and I'm sure in the England changing room a lot of guys will be playing it throughout the summer."

From : "Will the gym time over the past few weeks increase the speed that you can bowl, or was it just a strengthening exercise?"

Broad: "I don't think it will increase the speed that I bowl particularly, because I think speed comes from rhythm and technique. But it's important to have strength and I think it will minimise my risk of being injured and enable me to hold my speed up throughout a Test match. I am looking to bowl at around 88mph with full control, with an effort ball into the 90s."

Log on to to win a coaching session with Stuart Broad at Lord's.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 2.

    I'm confused by the number of different players used in the three different formats; so much so that I don't care any more. Reminds of that comment made in Australia about that possibility of different teams in different formats playing at the same time. In my mind, it's all about test cricket, and the rest is all about money - especially when you consider the sheer amount (why the Aussies again this summer - bizarre)

    Not surprised Broad doesn't know his role, and if he can't keep up with it all, who else can?

  • Comment number 3.

    I think Broad should look at how much runs he is scoring when he is batting and compare them to how many runs he conceded in recent test matches and look at where he can improve in both areas.

  • Comment number 4.

    Perhaps the England Footballers should watch Broady's 5 wicket haul at the Oval, and Wikinson's drop goal. Moments you never forget.

  • Comment number 5.


    England paceman Stuart Broad is a huge talent. His wicket fetching abilities keep on improving all the time. Best wishes to the young bowler.



    Dr. Cajetan Coelho

  • Comment number 6.

    Chaos theory? A butterfly's wings made all the difference to Bell's selection? Nothing to do with his outstanding form in Pro-40 last year and CB-40 this year and even two brilliant t20 knocks (according to Sky commentators).

  • Comment number 7.

    What curious comments in this article. How can you say that you "suggest" England builds a core of players? That is EXACTLY what they are doing. How come you don't know this?
    It is rather arrogant for you to suggest something, when it is already being done. There is now a very decent squad/core of players and we have most options covered in the various forms of the game. Obviously,it is an ongoing process, but i think the current management team and selectors have done considerably better at this than their predecessors. The fact that you don't seem to be aware of this, make it rather dubious that you are a correspondent!
    Chaos in batting selection?? What chaos? Keiswetter is early in his career, but looks at the moment to have solved the attacking opener we have been looking for since Marcus Trescothick left the international scene. It matters not to me that we have different wicketkeepers for the formats. We are lucky enough to have both options. Bell coming back in(as a back up batsman) is a sound decision, based on form. Morgan has proved an inspiration in the one day format, and remains a possible prospect in the longer form of the game because he has the temperment.
    So, I am baffled by this odd comment of us being in chaos with batting.

  • Comment number 8.

    Stuart Broad's broadness or otherwise is of no consequence. As a cricketer, the width of his shoulders or the breadth of his buttocks should not matter.

    Were he a footballer it would be different. We have seen that Peter Crouch is far too thin and hard to spot to be a target man up front.

    Obviously this is not a problem for Stuart Broad.

  • Comment number 9.

    How is it that someone who would have been referred to as a moderate paced stock bowler in years past garners such praise.Broad is immensely predictable, straight up and down,almost pedestrian in his bowling and the Aussies could not possibly be put off guard by pace, flight, turn, speed,swing.He hasnt got any of this in his armoury.Surely the Australians should seek the services of an eye doctor rather than worry about ways to counter such mediocrity?

  • Comment number 10.

    I cant believe there is no test cricket until 29 july!!! is this correct?all we get is these meaningless 1 day games, and today (saturday) theres hardly any games anywhere!!!! what a complete mishmash this cricket season is.

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