Stuart Broad lambastes India Test series scheduling; hints at settling for rotation policy
England pacer Stuart Broad has lambasted the scheduling of the Test series against India, which has 5 Tests jammed into a space of just 6 weeks, starting July 9. With a break of just 4-5 days on an average between the Test matches, the tour itinerary will be extremely taxing on the fast bowlers in particular.
While there are reports doing the rounds that senior England pacers have expressed their discontent at the possibility of the rotation policy, Broad, however, hinted at coming to terms with it, as it could help them prolong their career.
“The schedules are a little bit crazy,” Broad said. “In the next 42 days we've got 25 Test-match days, so it doesn't leave a lot of time to rest.
“You have to manage workloads. Will I play all five [matches]? If I do, we've bowled really well.”
The right-arm quick, who has 245 wickets in 69 matches, has had a plethora of injury problems recently, which have led to him missing a few games for England, the most recent being a knee injury that made him miss two T20Is in the Caribbean in March. The 28-year-old, given his injury track-record, feels that he’s better off looking at the long-term and missing just a couple of Tests rather than being out of the game for too long.
“You never want to miss a Test match, it's the worst phone call you can get from the selectors,” he said. “But if you get into a 'red zone', you've got a high-percentage chance of getting injured. You're better off missing one Test match than missing 10.”
Broad has, however, declared himself fit for the start of the Test series in spite of the fact that the knee troubles that had first plagued him in the Ashes last winter refuse to fully go away. .
“I've got a bit of a sore knee at the moment,” he said. “It's a tendonitis problem, it's a constant annoyance. It will get sorted when there's a window, but I can play cricket with it.”
Broad also expressed his determination at reversing the spate of recent losses in Test match cricket, by starting off with a win against India at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, in the 1st Test.
“You can't look at the (third Test) Rose Bowl or (the fourth Test) Old Trafford,” he said. “It is all about Wednesday and starting well against India. Like we did in 2011, we have to do the same here.”