Confident Stuart Broad targets clean sweep against Sri Lanka and Pakistan
Stuart Broad has rallied his troops by laying down the gauntlet ahead of a packed English summer. Speaking to Sky Sports, the tall fast bowler wants to clean sweep both Sri Lanka and Pakistan in front of lively crowds.
Apart from Sri Lanka and Pakistan, England currently hold all the Test trophies which are on offer. Broad wants to extract revenge for the tense 0-1 loss at home against the Lankans in 2014 and the two terrible tours to the UAE where they lost five out of six Tests against Pakistan.
The 29-year old enthused, “We're in a great place as an England cricket team. There are a lot of people being talked about for England spots which is always a bonus and we have seven of the nine Test trophies available to us.”
“The two we don't have are Sri Lanka and Pakistan. They're here this summer and what an opportunity that is, what a motivation that is for a group of guys to fight throughout the summer and play some exciting cricket and entertain.”
Broad also promised to entertain the audience with an exciting performance. He affirmed, “Part of the new philosophy of England cricket is to win games of course but we also want to entertain the people watching and we'll be looking to do that every day we step on to that field.”
He added, “We've got a young squad so we've had a few inconsistent days but the more cricket we play the better we'll get at that. But whatever we do, we will do it with a smile on our face and in a positive manner.”
On his skipper Alastair Cook’s reluctance to switch to the new style helmets, the Nottingham seamer reasoned, “Cookie averaged 45 or 46 with that particular helmet. So, he doesn't want to run the risk of getting out early or costing us a Test match by changing a helmet.”
Broad admitted that the recent spate of unfortunate accidents have made him extremely cautious. He asserted, “Craig Kieswetter had to retire with a fractured cheekbone and obviously the Phillip Hughes scenario was just awful. I had one that went through the grille and broke my nose in both places. So, I've obviously experienced the wrong side of it.”
Sri Lanka tour England for a 3-Test series which begins on May 19, following which Pakistan begin their 4-Test series against the hosts from July 14.