England’s Stuart Broad believes he is returning to his best form

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jan/28/england-stuart-broad-india-tri-series

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After controversies about blackmail plots concerning the team’s captain and Twitter debates on the minimum wage, it is time for England’s cricketers to do their talking on the field – starting with Friday’s winner-takes-all Tri-Series match against India.

Four days after Eoin Morgan and the England and Wales Cricket Board were subject to a bizarre extortion attempt in Tasmania, Stuart Broad found himself in the eye of a social media storm when tweeting: “I’ve heard if you earn minimum wage in England you’re in the top 10% earners in the world. #stay #humble.”

The England bowler clarified that clumsy attempt at social commentary, saying his tweet was “genuinely innocent” and conceding he had “misjudged” the hashtag “a bit”.

Broad also admitted he was surprised by the vitriolic reaction to his gaffe, before adding: “We’re quite lucky with the abuse we receive compared to footballers. I wouldn’t want to see Wayne Rooney’s [Twitter mentions].”

Yet like England’s footballers, the national cricket team are used to receiving abuse, especially come World Cup time, and Broad, 28, knows it is incumbent on him and the other bowlers to make a significant impact if the team are to achieve anything more than the customary quarter-final exit at the forthcoming tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

The last time England achieved anything of note at a World Cup was also in the antipodes, in 1992, when a side captained by Graham Gooch reached the final before succumbing to Pakistan.

While the batsmen, led brilliantly by Ian Bell, have done their job so far on this trip, England’s bowlers have really only put in one complete performance, when they routed India for 153 in Brisbane last week to win set up a nine-wicket Tri-Series victory. Steven Finn’s maiden five-wicket haul in one-day internationals was key at The Gabba. However, Broad knows any long-term success beyond Friday’s rematch against India in Perth depends on the bowling unit of himself, Finn, Jimmy Anderson and Chris Woakes hunting as a pack and showing intent to attack.

“In one-day cricket you’ve got to dovetail, not everyone’s going to have their day every day,” said Broad. “As long as we keep an attacking mindset, we can be dangerous, as long as we don’t go defensive. Let’s keep a slip in, keep trying to take wickets. It’s the only way to go.”

Broad is returning from a four-month lay-off following knee surgery last September and, although he has yet to take a wicket in the Tri-Series, he believes he is getting back close to his best.

“You grow in each game,” he said. “I think a bit of extra pace comes with the rhythm and match feeling. I feel like I’m running in nicely and I’ve had no problems with the knee whatsoever. Perth generally as a tall bowler is where you want to bowl so hopefully we can do to India what we did in Brisbane.

“I know as a player I can go through these little periods where I might not pick up wickets for a couple of games, then I seem to get a handful. Hopefully come semi-final and final time of the World Cup it will be my chance to shine.”

Such is England’s reluctance to overwork their two most senior bowlers, that until this tour Broad and Anderson had not played together in the same one-day team since the 2013 Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston, when India won a rain-affected match by five runs.

“You want to play as much cricket as you can, but we’ve been quite hectic over the last 18 months with a lot of red-ball cricket,” said Broad. “It’s been seen that we wanted to keep a bit of experience in the squad, so it’s been me or Jimmy that’s missed out. Both of us over the last 18 months have been nursing knee problems. It’s not going to get any easier over the next two years.”

England know victory at the Waca will ensure they face Australia in the Tri-Series final at the same venue on Sunday. After two defeats in two against the hosts so far, a win in Perth would go a long way to instilling belief into the team before their World Cup opener against the same opponents in Melbourne on Valentine’s Day.

“It’s the back-to-back wins we need, if we’re going to do that, we’re going to have to beat Australia,” said Broad. “That’s something we’re going to have to improve on if we’re going to go far in the World Cup. Our first challenge is Friday; India will be well up for it because there’s a spot in the final available. Australia have got to be favourites for the World Cup, but the greatest thing about World Cups is you don’t know what’s going to happen.”