Over years Stuart Broad has accumulated numbers that speak for his ability © AFP
As England and Australia prepare for the Ashes 2015 by engaging in the customary mind-games and masked (or sometimes bare) trash-talking, it is time to identify which players will actually make the difference once the real thing starts. Rishad D’Souza feels ‘Pantomime Villain’ Stuart Broad will be crucial to England’s chances in quest to regain the coveted little urn.
Stuart Broad is a fine Test player. His ability to exploit the new ball under swinging conditions to dominate the best of batsmen coupled with his handy lower order batting make him an irreplaceable asset to the England Test team. Over years he has accumulated numbers that speak for his ability. Shaun Marsh unequipped to handle swinging ball; could get exposed during Ashes 2015
Broad’s wicket-taking doesn’t come from the kind of prodigious swing like James Anderson is capable of, nor does he have the gas and extreme pace for ferocious bouncers like his Australian counterpart Mitchell Johnson.
However, what puts the lanky Notts lad in the same league is the fact that his bowling is a good mix of all aspects that make for a good bowler. He hits the deck hard and his height enables him to generate further bounce; his wrist position allows for movement off the pitch. Combine that with speeds of about 83 — 87 mph and you have a very well rounded bowler. Australia will need Mitchells to fire to retain urn in England after 14 years
Moreover, he heavily relies on the virtue of persistence and will refuse to get deterred even when the going gets difficult. While Anderson often gets subdued if he doesn’t get the desired results with the new ball, Broad will continue to attack the batsmen, with a range of tactics.
However, what really sets Broad apart is his aptitude for hard combat, which explains why his numbers against Australia have been particularly good. He likes his cricket served hot and that is exactly what the Australians deliver. As the intensity in the middle increases, Broad tends to become that much more dangerous. Nick Compton: Virat Kohli in time could be best among all
His technique with the bat is certainly not as sound but he has the penchant to stage recovering partnerships low down the order instead of being a passive partner. He particularly likes batting in England where he boasts of an average of 30, which effectively classifies him as a bowling all-rounder in home conditions.
In his quest to play hard cricket, he sometimes tends to cross the line and a couple of controversial incidents led to him being labelled as ‘Pantomime Villain‘ by Australian media, but that should not discourage him from playing the way he does. If he retains the attitude from previous series, he will surely attract more Australian dislikers, but will give his side the best chance of regaining the urn. Sky Sports and ‘We didn’t Start the Fire’: What do the words mean?
(Rishad D’Souza, a reporter with CricketCountry, gave up hopes of playing Test cricket after a poor gully-cricket career. He now reports on the sport. You can follow @RishadDsouza on Twitter)