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With the Australia A tour of England having begun here’s a quick look at the form of the Australians who are plying their trade in county cricket

Andrew McGlashan23-Jun-2019Cameron Bancroft (Durham) We’ve had the comeback stories of Steven Smith and David Warner over the last few weeks. Will Bancroft add his name to the list during the Ashes? That opportunity is probably drifting away after a lean time for Durham. His last six innings have brought a top score of 40 and he is averaging an underwhelming 23.66 from five Championship matches, albeit in a Durham line-up that has struggled for runs throughout. With Joe Burns currently recovering from his chronic fatigue there may yet be a spot for a reserve opener, behind the likely first-choice pair of David Warner and Marcus Harris, but at the moment a call-up would seem unlikely.Marnus Labuschagne (Glamorgan)It is worth remembering that Labuschagne is an incumbent member of the Test side having faced Sri Lanka earlier this year and it has been a promising few weeks for the allrounder as he has helped Glamorgan climb the Division Two table. He now has 704 runs at 64.00 including three centuries, one of which was a career-best 182 against Sussex, and his legspin has collected 16 wickets at 32.18. Australia appear to have moved away from a seam-bowling allrounder at No. 6, but Labuschangne’s ability to provide more-than-useful overs over a crammed five-Test series could yet keep him in the frame.Callum Ferguson (Worcestershire)Ferguson’s international days appear behind him, destined to remain with that single Test cap against South Africa in Hobart where he was swiftly discarded after a crushing defeat. He was in the mix for a one-day recall earlier this year, but that ship also sailed for the 34-year-old. Runs have not flowed by the bucketload in recent weeks at Worcestershire, with one half-century in four matches since the Championship resumed after the one-day competition, although he has had to contend with two particularly strong attacks in Lancashire and Middlesex.James Pattinson (Nottinghamshire)The Ashes beckons for Pattinson and after overcoming a niggly side injury, coupled with a lack of overs due to the recent wet weather, he was back to full force with 6 for 73 against Kent albeit in what became a heavy defeat for Nottinghamshire. Tim Paine has spoken about saying prayers that Pattinson can stay fit to play a role against England with him potentially being earmarked for the flatter pitches during the series. He is due to link up with the Australia A tour shortly and all eyes will be on how he builds over the next month ahead of the Ashes selection.Peter Siddle (Essex)It has since been admitted that not playing Siddle until the final Test of the 2015 Ashes was a major mistake – compounded by the fact he then took six wickets in the dead rubber at The Oval. There has been much talk of him getting another go this time around having found a new lease of life over the last couple of seasons, but it has been a quiet for weeks for him with eight wickets in his last three Championship outings. He has not been included in the Australia squad because of his county deal and he might yet need a couple of compelling performances to avoid drifting down the pecking order.Chadd Sayers (Gloucestershire)It is probably a longshot for Sayers, who has one cap under his belt from the Johannesburg Test last year, to claim an Ashes berth and there has been some toil since he arrived to replace the injured Daniel Worrall at Gloucestershire. In his most recent outing he claimed 3 for 91 in a runfest against Leicestershire that included two triple-century stands.

Tanvir Islam and Anjum Ahmed shared seven wickets to help Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity to a six-wicket win over Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2018Salauddin Pappu’s maiden List-A century powered Legends of Rupganj to second place in the Dhaka Premier League after a 26-run win against Kalabagan Krira Chakra.Batting first at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Rupganj made 314 for 5 in 50 overs with Pappu smashing eight sixes and 12 fours in his 95-ball 125. He added 150 runs in 22.3 overs for the second wicket stand with Mohammad Naim, who made 45 himself. The captain Naeem Islam also chipped in with an unbeaten on 61 off 53 balls.Kalabagan got off to a fast start with Shreevats Goswami and Tasamul Haque adding 65 runs for the opening stand. Goswami (75) and Mohammad Ashraful (64) followed that up with another half-century stand once that was broken, the middle order couldn’t keep pace with the asking rate. Spinners Parvez Rasool and Asif Hasan took three wickets each while seamer Mohammad Shahid took two.Agrani Bank banked on half-centuries from Azmir Ahmed (65), Salman Hossain (63), Rishi Dhawan (70) and Jahid Javed (55) to beat Brothers Union by three wickets at Fatullah Cricket Stadium.Chasing 290 to win, Azmir and Salman added 88 runs for the second wicket before Salman and Dhiman Ghosh contributed 50 for the third wicket. While all of that set up the chase, it was finished by Dhawan and Javed, who batted at better than run-a-ball to ensure their team secured victory.Earlier in the day, Mizanur Rahman and Junaid Siddique recorded only the third 200-plus opening partnership in Bangladesh List A history. Mizanur made 102 off 120 balls with nine fours and three sixes. Junaid missed out on the century, making 92 off 103 balls with eight fours and a six. Shafiul Islam was the pick of Agrani’s bowlers, finishing with 4 for 48.Tanvir Islam and Anjum Ahmed shared seven wickets to help Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity to a six-wicket win over Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.Batting first, Dhanmondi Club were bowled out for 167 runs in 48 overs. Tanvir took four wickets while Anjum claimed three, their combined figures reading 18-0-46-7. Tanbir Hayder top-scored with 52. Khelaghar wrapped up a straightforward chase with Ashok Menaria scoring 58 off 71 balls and Rafsan Al Mahmud giving good support with 49 off 82.

While the short ball that took out Mushfiqur was the most conspicuous aspect of New Zealand’s attack in Wellington, Trent Boult has said the reverse swing they achieved was also a valuable addition

Mohammad Isam in Christchurch19-Jan-2017While the short-ball barrage that took out Mushfiqur Rahim was the most conspicuous aspect of New Zealand’s attack in Wellington, Trent Boult has said the reverse swing they achieved at Basin Reserve was also a valuable addition to an armoury well stocked with swing and bouncers.New Zealand used both reverse swing and the bouncer to skittle Bangladesh for 160 in the second innings, which turned the Wellington Test in the home side’s favour despite conceding 595 in the first innings.”A big positive from the Test match was that we got the ball to reverse swing eventually,” Boult said. “Australia, the last time they came, taught us a lesson on ways to bowl sides out on flat wickets.”Boult said the ability to bowl short deliveries effectively was an asset to a bowling attack because it made the full deliveries more dangerous. “I think the short ball is a valuable skill for a fast bowler. I think people have to realise why we are bowling short in the first place. It is to upset the batsman and get them struck on the crease to make the fuller ball more effective.”When you are bowling a short ball it is definitely not with the intention of hurting the batsman but to make your other skills more effective. I think it is a method that we have been using successfully for a while. I am sure there will be short-pitched bowling among the group, looking to put pressure on the opponents.”Boult said it could be difficult to keep facing deliveries aimed at the throat, but felt Bangladesh had coped well by playing aggressively whenever the shot was directed downwind.”It is a bit intimidating facing a barrage of short-pitched bowling. They played it nicely,” Boult said. “They looked to be aggressive towards it and picked their times downwind and into the wind on when to play the shots. I am sure they got plans in place to adapt to it.”Bangladesh’s chances in the Wellington Test took a severe blow when Mushfiqur retired hurt in the second innings after he was hit on the head by a bouncer from Tim Southee, who had been targeting the batsman with short balls to exploit his injured finger. Boult said the prolonged use of the tactic depended on how successful it was.”I think it depends on how the opposition played it. I think you are trying to read how uncomfortable they are feeling and the game plan they are bringing towards it,” he said. “The Australians have played it quite nicely. So you have to quickly change your plans.”We are hoping that it will be nice, seam bowling conditions [in Christchurch] where we can pitch the ball up and skin the cat a different way.”Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh opener who will be standing in as captain at Hagley Oval, said there was no reason to complain over the short deliveries.”I think short ball is part of the game. I can’t really complain about it,” he said. “If we feel that a certain batsman is not comfortable, we might use those tactics. It is fair game. I said in the last press conference, we expect these things in this part of the world. When New Zealand or any other team go to our conditions, they expect spin. I am sure they don’t complain about the ball spinning too much so why should we complain about bouncers?”

Tamim Iqbal and Tillakaratne Dilshan struck fifties and toyed with Sylhet Superstars’ attack as Chittagong Vikings broke their four-match losing streak with a 10-wicket win, their first at home

The Report by Mohammad Isam in Chittagong02-Dec-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTamim Iqbal stroked eight fours during his 51-ball 67•BCB

Tamim Iqbal and Tillakaratne Dilshan struck fifties and toyed with Sylhet Superstars’ attack as Chittagong Vikings broke their four-match losing streak with a 10-wicket win, their first at home. This was only the second 10-wicket victory in the BPL since the inaugural match in 2012.Shahid Afridi had earlier hit his first T20 half-century after three years to resurrect Sylhet after they were reduced to 22 for 4. Afridi’s 41-ball 62 set Chittagong a 140-run target but his effort ended in vain as Tamim and Dilshan helped Chittagong ace the chase thanks to the biggest opening partnership in this year’s BPL and the third 100-plus opening stand in two days.Tamim set to work immediately, clattering three fours off Mohammad Shahid’s first over. Tamim then took Dilshan Munaweera for back-to-back fours in the fourth over. Tillakaratne Dilshan soon laid into Abdur Razzak who had returned after recovering from a hamstring injury. Dilshan followed a slog-swept six over midwicket with a brace of fours through the offside. He then unfurled his signature Dilscoop for another six, this time off Rubel Hossain, as Chittagong raced to 69 in 6 overs.Afridi was welcomed into the attack with a cut past backward point and Tamim reached his third fifty in the competition, off 36 balls, when he drove Sohail Tanvir past cover. An over later Dilshan brought up a fifty of his own and went on to claim six fours, the last of which was the winning blow, to add to three sixes.The match would have finished much earlier had Afridi not hauled Sylhet from trouble. Dilshan Munaweera, Nurul Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Ravi Bopara all fell inside four overs. Munaweera was run out, courtesy some brilliant direct hit from Mohammad Amir. Bopara was also run out while Nurul skied Bilawal Bhatti and Mushfiqur was out leg-before to Taskin.Mominul Haque and Nazmul Hossain Milon also failed but Afridi rallied with the lower order to give his side some late boost. The first of his four sixes came off Shafiul Islam in the seventh over before the same bowler was creamed over mid-on in the eleventh over. Afridi also struck two sixes off Asif Hasan and Bhatti and reached his fifty off 33 balls, after being reprieved at square leg and fine leg on 14 and 25.Amir finally got rid of Afridi with a peach of a ball that skidded from outside leg to hit the top of off, in the 18th over. Dilshan and Tamim then combined to hand Sylhet their fifth loss in six games.

Rajiv Shukla has resigned as IPL chairman, following the scandal over alleged corruption in the league

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2013Rajiv Shukla has resigned as IPL chairman, following the scandal over alleged corruption in the league. His decision to stand down comes less than 24 hours after the resignations of two top BCCI officials, secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke, and on the eve of a crucial BCCI working committee meeting in Chennai, where the future of N Srinivasan as board president is expected to be decided.On Saturday evening, Shukla told : “I have decided to quit as IPL chairman. It is a decision that I was pondering over for some time. I think it is time to step down. Sanjay Jagdale and Ajay Shirke resigned in the best interest of Indian cricket. I thought this is the right time.”Shirke, responding to news of Shukla’s resignation, said the challenge now lay in how to move forward. “It is his decision. He’s in the eye of the storm, he must have realised the gravity of what he felt,” Shirke told . “It is never too late, the question is what are the steps being taken from now on to restore the faith and restore transparency. No one is able to pinpoint the faults and what steps should be taken.”Shukla took over as IPL chairman at the BCCI’s Annual General Meeting in September 2011, from Chirayu Amin. The tenure is for a year, but can be extended at the board’s AGM. Shukla, who was reappointed as chairman in 2012, had gone on record saying he would not extend his term at this September’s AGM.IPL 2013 has been plunged into controversy over the past two weeks, following the arrests of three Rajasthan Royals players for alleged spot-fixing, and Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan – the the son-in-law of board president N Srinivasan, who is also the managing director of Super Kings’ owner, India Cements – for alleged betting.Apart from Shukla, the IPL’s governing council comprises Arun Jaitley (Delhi District Cricket Association), Anirudh Chaudhary (Haryana Cricket Association), Amitabh Chaudhary (Jharkhand CA), Sanjay Patel (Baroda CA), Ganga Raju (Andhra CA), MP Pandove (Punjab CA), and former India Test cricketer and current television commentator Ravi Shastri.Meanwhile Jagdale, who resigned as BCCI secretary on Friday, said a “massive clean-up job” is necessary following the controversies. “The spot-fixing and betting scandal has badly dented the image of cricket. A massive clean-up job is required to overcome this,” he said. “But this will take time as the damage done is very big.”It is very difficult to stop fixing in cricket and BCCI has its own limitations, but the the board can strengthen its surveillance and curb the menace of fixing. At the same time, the BCCI will have to take strict action against cricketers who are found guilty. To earn the faith of fans, the BCCI administrators will have to show determination and work as a unit.”Whether Srinivasan, under mounting pressure, will step aside as board president – at least temporarily, until the inquiry into Gurunath, India Cements and Rajasthan Royals’ owners is complete – is likely to be answered on Sunday, following the BCCI’s emergency meeting. Jagdale said he would not consider returning to the BCCI even if Srinivasan resigned: “I am not even looking at the possibility of coming back into the BCCI’s fold. I think I am done with my innings.”

A tinder-dry Queen’s Park Oval pitch drew comparisons to Kanpur as West Indies and Australia weighed up the possibility of decking their teams with spin when the second Test begins on Sunday

Daniel Brettig in Port-of-Spain15-Apr-2012A tinder-dry Queen’s Park Oval pitch drew comparisons to Kanpur as West Indies and Australia weighed up the possibility of decking their teams with spin when the second Test begins on Sunday.Having initially offered a slightly damp, tacky appearance when viewed by the tourists on their first visit to the ground on Friday, the strip had dried considerably by the time they took a second look the day before the match, while also showing evidence of surface cracking. Oil stains left by the heavy roller gave the wicket a slightly mottled look, and gave Darren Sammy and Michael Clarke much to ponder ahead of a match the hosts must win to stay in the race for the Frank Worrell Trophy.Nathan Lyon and Michael Beer both bowled lengthy spells in the nets, Lyon frequently in discussions with the coach Mickey Arthur, and Clarke said both would be considered. Having not chosen two specialist spin bowlers in the same team even when confronted by the sharply turning Galle pitch in Sri Lanka last September, playing both would be quite a departure for the visitors, and would also force the omission of one of Ryan Harris, Ben Hilfenhaus or Peter Siddle – a difficult call in every case.”It [two spinners] is definitely worth thinking about, for sure,” Clarke said. “The wicket looks very dry, yesterday as soon as they took the covers off it looked a bit tacky, but no doubt there’s a big possibility we could play two spinners on that wicket for sure.”Arthur mentioned Kanpur when asked to name a pitch of similar appearance. He was coaching South Africa in 2008 when they were confronted by a sharply spinning track on which India levelled the series at one match apiece. After South Africa were rolled for 121 in the third innings to lose in three days, Kanpur’s officials were warned by the ICC for preparing a strip rated as “poor”, just as Galle’s was last year.The Port-of-Spain pitch has returned a series of low scoring results in recent times, and offered plenty of assistance to spin bowlers. The hosts included the offspin of Shane Shillingford, in addition to Devendra Bishoo’s leg breaks and Narsingh Deonarine’s part-timers, in a squad of 14 in anticipation of more of the same. However its low and variable bounce means that fast bowlers can also reap rewards, provided they are straight and accurate. Shane Watson and Sammy are two such men who will be capable of hitting the same spot ball after ball.”[There has been] a lot of first-class cricket played here [this season] and so far there’s been a result. So we expect this pitch to be one that will have a [result],” Sammy said. “When we play here it is a little bit low as well, so I think bowling straight would be the key.”You’ve got to be accurate and I think that’s what we’re going to look to do. We have Fidel [Edwards], [Kemar] Roach, bowling quick. If they’re accurate, like they were in Barbados, and a few decisions that were close end up in our favour, it could be a different story. We’re looking to go out and play another good Test match, hopefully we can be on the winning side.”We’ve included Shillingford in the line-up, everyone in the 14-man squad is eligible for selection, the chairman is here so we will make some decisions on the best combination to help us win the Test match.”Rain is predicted to intervene on most days of the Test, leaving Clarke to also factor that into his team selection and tactics. “I think rain’s definitely going to play a part, the forecast is for rain for the first three days of the Test match,” Clarke said. “They say the drainage here is very good, and it rained a fair bit yesterday but the ground was still fine to play on. So it’s going to be more the lack of time in the game [that could effect the result]. Come 5pm, I think it’s going to be quite dark as well.”

Former Australia batsman Stuart Law has been asked to be interim coach of the Sri Lanka team for the tour of England starting next month

Sa'adi Thawfeeq06-Apr-2011Former Australia batsman Stuart Law has been asked to be interim coach of the Sri Lanka team for the tour of England starting next month. Law had assisted outgoing Australian head coach Trevor Bayliss since November 2009 and is expected to take over his a full-time successor.Bayliss, who was head coach for the past four years, had stated that he would be quitting the job after the 2011 World Cup, where Sri Lanka were losing finalists. “We have requested Law to take over as coach for the England tour until we finalise our headhunt for Trevor Bayliss’ successor,” SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said.The last two days have been a period of upheaval for Sri Lankan cricket, with Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene stepping down from their leadership roles, and the selection committee resigning.Sri Lanka commences a tour of England on the second week of May and the itinerary comprises three Tests and five ODIs.

Pakistan’s selectors have recommended that Mohammad Sami and Abdul Rehman replace the injured Umar Gul and Yasir Arafat in the World Twenty20 squad

Osman Samiuddin19-Apr-2010Pakistan’s captain, coach and chief selector were forced to backtrack on their choices for replacing injured players in the squad for the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean. A day after the trio said Mohammad Sami and Mohammad Irfan had been approved as replacements for Umar Gul and Yasir Arafat – without the approval of the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt – the board announced that Sami and Abdur Rehman, the left-arm spinner, will now be the replacements instead.The confusion had begun early yesterday morning, when Shahid Afridi and Waqar Younis and then Mohsin Khan, held press conferences in Lahore ruling out Gul and Arafat and bringing in Sami and Irfan, a decision that didn’t have unanimous backing among the selection committee in any case.Further, Butt had not been informed of the replacements and his approval wasn’t sought – as is the procedure – and the board immediately issued a release clarifying that no replacements had been approved.The lack of communication is believed to have irked Butt and soon after meetings were held in Lahore’s Gaddafi stadium HQ between selectors, coach, captain and board officials. Though both captain and coach were keen on Irfan, the main objection to his selection was that he hadn’t been picked in the list of 30 probables that Pakistan had sent to the ICC.Though a final decision wasn’t taken last night – Butt had by then flown to Dubai for an ICC meeting – the name of Rehman as an alternative had been agreed upon. The team management was keen on another fast bowler, but only left-arm paceman Wahab Riaz was in the probables list and he is not fully fit. Today it was decided Rehman would be picked ahead of Irfan.”After Gul and Arafat’s injury we wanted another fast bowler, but from the list of 30 probables, we didn’t have any others,” Mohsin told Cricinfo. “The problem with Irfan’s selection was that he wasn’t in the 30 and that is where the problem was. Rehman’s name has been approved by the chairman.” The ICC clarified, however, that a player can be picked from outside the probables list.Rehman has been one of Pakistan’s leading domestic spinners for the last few years now and was particularly successful in the season just gone. He has played two Tests as well as a number of ODIs, though the last time he stepped out in Pakistan colours was back in November 2007.The turnaround denies Irfan what would’ve been a dream entry into international cricket, not even a year after his first-class debut. Irfan’s height – he is said to be near 7 feet tall – has attracted attention and his bowling has impressed many this season, including Afridi. “I’ve faced him and he is really good,” Afridi told today. “We can actually use him as a surprise package in the World Twenty20. He is quite fast but it’s his height that can really trouble a lot of batsmen. He extracts good bounce.”

As coach, he helped Bangladesh win the 2020 Men’s U-19 World Cup, and hopes to replicate the success for 2026

Mohammad Isam01-Jul-2024In 2020, Naveed Nawaz led a campaign that won Bangladesh the Under-19 World Cup. Now upon his return as coach of the Youth team, he hopes to use the same methods to secure the same piece of silverware which will be up for grabs again in 2026.The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) appointed Nawaz last month after Stuart Law’s contract was not renewed. Law was Bangladesh’s head coach in the 2024 Under-19 World Cup, but has since joined the USA men’s national team that reached the Super Eight stage at the T20 World Cup 2024.Nawaz, who returns after spending two years as Sri Lanka men’s assistant coach, said that Bangladesh’s new batch of Under-19 players will face increased expectations – just like he will – having already been champions.”This expectation is on the players as well in a country like Bangladesh, where people are almost crazy about cricket,” Nawaz said. “They love the game so much. Players will carry the burden of expectations. Coming back to Bangladesh after winning the [Under-19] World Cup in 2020, obviously there will be expectations [on me], but I think I have to focus on other things. It has been four years since winning the World Cup. There’s a lot of work to be done.”As always, BCB has laid down a brilliant programme like in the past. We will put our shared experience, we will cover every base that this group of boys will face in the next two years. We want to give them as much experience as possible. Give them the confidence, help them grow. Players are the main carriers of this game. We must create a happy environment for the players. They have to make decisions independently. Coaches will help them make better decisions in the future. That’s what we did four years ago. It produced results for us. The basics haven’t changed yet.”Under Nawaz’s coaching, Bangladesh won their first men’s ICC world title for any age group•ICC via Getty

Bangladesh’s trophy-winning campaign in 2020 produced several cricketers who are in the senior team now. Shoriful Islam, Towhid Hridoy, Tanzid Hasan, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, Parvez Hossain, Rakibul Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shahadat Hossain, Shamim Hossain and Tanzim Hasan Sakib have all made international debuts for Bangladesh in the last four years.Nawaz said that he will go around the country to find talented cricketers, and then discuss with the age-group selectors the profile of players the team will need for the 2026 Under-19 World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia.”The plan is very simple for the next two years,” he said. “We know what type of cricket the U-19 boys play all over the world. There’s been a lot of visibility. My first job would be to sit with the selectors, to see what are the [pieces of the] puzzles that match. What type of talent do we have to make a great team, that can win.”We want to understand the talent from worldwide and try to put in all the benchmarks in our players and try to reach it in two years. That’s what we did before. We want to build a team in two years that can compare with any other country without any fear.”Nawaz, however, highlighted that it takes a lot of time and effort to become a successful player at the senior level. Teenagers cannot always become superstars overnight. “We unearth a lot of talent in age-group cricket in countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. International cricket is so challenging that even if you are very talented at the ages of 18, 19 or 20, it doesn’t tell the story that you are going to be a superstar by the age of 25 or 30.”Cricket is a lot more analytical than before; oppositions find you out very quickly. It is about the players being able to work their way out, to understand and rectify their game. You can’t be holding a technical or mental issue for too long. You have to get over it. BCB will look into it in the High Performance or higher age-group programmes where you give the players confidence to perform at higher stages.”

Missing Caribbean tour may have prolonged career, fast bowler admits

Vithushan Ehantharajah11-Feb-2023It was in New Zealand back in 2008 that Peter Moores pulled the cord on the future of English Test cricket. Out went the experience of Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard for the second Test at Wellington. In came 25-year-old James Anderson and 21-year-old Stuart Broad.The pair would play the next match in Napier, too, going on split 16 wickets between them as England secured what remains their last series victory in these parts. A month shy of 15 years on, and 1,225 more dismissals between them later, they return to the country where it all truly began.It’s tempting to fawn over such Origin Story shtick with Anderson and Broad, as per their three visits since. With good reason, mind, given their longevity is a key part of their legacy, specifically a sense they had as much control over their own destinies as the seam on a ball. But this tour carries the whiff of something a little different. That maybe now they are ceding a bit of that control and allowing themselves to be slaves to fate, just like the rest of us. Particularly Broad.When both Broad and Anderson were dropped last March for the tour of the Caribbean after another disastrous Ashes Down Under, retirement came into their minds. It’s hard to gauge who was closer to making that call, but Broad was being pencilled into the rota for Sky Sports’ Test coverage in the 2022 summer, which suggests feelers had been put out.A permanent move from the pitch to the commentary box will have to wait a little longer, though Broad did occupy the couch as a pundit for the Pakistan tour, which he missed for the birth of his first child, Annabella. Now, sitting as comfortably as ever in England training gear outside the team room of the Novotel Hotel in Hamilton, he sees a different side to missing that West Indies series.”Arguably that decision saved my career,” Broad says. “If I had gone there on those pitches I’m not sure I’d be here now.” The series ended in a 1-0 defeat after two high-scoring draws in the opening matches in Antigua and Barbados. “I don’t think it was designed like that by the selectors but I count myself as pretty lucky.”Now here we are: Rob Key as men’s managing director, Brendon McCullum as red-ball coach, Ben Stokes as Test captain and a run of nine wins out of 10 after just one in 17. English cricket is in an wonderfully absurd place right now, catalysed to an about-turn few saw coming. Broad has been a key part of that, particularly as the leading wicket-taker of the 2022 summer with 29 at 27.17.He knows his numbers, of course – there aren’t many in the game quite as invested in the minutiae of their statistics as Broad. “If I’d have gone on the two tours I missed [West Indies and Pakistan] I would have ended up the leading wicket-taker in the world [in 2022],” he says, assuming of course that first tour hadn’t finished him. He ended up with 40 in the calendar year, seven shy of the joint-leaders Nathan Lyon and Kagiso Rabada.Stuart Broad was England’s leading wicket-taker in the 2022 summer•Getty Images

As much as the new environment has helped, in particular the attacking mantra in the field of progress over preservation, Broad admits to a shift in his general outlook. After a period of “waking up more confused and angrier with each passing day” as he wrote in hiscolumn following his axing, came the decision to focus on what was right in front of him.”When I got left out of the Caribbean I changed my mindset to just attacking a week at a time, because it can be quite tiring looking too far ahead all the time, and we got in a habit of doing that. It is so refreshing just to have a crack at the week in front of you and sign it off.”Looking back a year, I would not have chosen to miss the Caribbean but it was a good thing that has happened for me. I never decided I was not going to play for England again but, when I got back to playing for Notts, I decided to give it everything, put my heart and soul into this week, try and get a win, sign it off, recover and move on.”With me going down that mindset, and Baz and Stokes taking over, it has been incredible for my enjoyment levels and me personally. I bowled well and felt I did my thing for the team instead of saying ‘I’ve got to do this to try and play at Edgbaston in July’. I’m very relaxed. If and when I get selected, I will give it everything, charge in, sign it off and go again.”The “if and when I get selected” is sincere. Since the emergence of Ollie Robinson, Broad’s place is no longer guaranteed. He is now as likely to play alongside Anderson as he is to deputise for him.It’s something he accepts, in terms of the reality of the situation right now rather than a reflection of his skills. And as such, the last year has been spent workshopping a new gather (when a bowler “loads up” their arms before delivery). If his usual action has his right (bowling) hand under his chin before coming back over his shoulder, like he’s tucking a napkin into his shirt before going to town on some soup, this new variation has his right hand cocked out just in front of his nose, like a T-Rex about to catch a sneeze.The idea is to improve his wobble-seam delivery to right-handers. The new method is still a work in progress, with Broad having used it sparingly at the end of last summer, but he gave it another go during the warm-up match against New Zealand A.Related

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• Brendon McCullum backs calculated revelry as England ease into Test preparations

• England quicks find rhythm but cyclone threatens further Test build-up

“It came about at the start of last year with the Dukes ball,” Broad said. “it didn’t necessarily swing a huge amount in those first four Tests. The wobble wasn’t getting a huge amount of reaction, so I wanted to change my seam position and the way I wanted to do that was just change my shoulder position.”So it almost looks a bit like Dominic Cork, how he used to have that high load, and used to twist his shoulders around. I’ve got quite an open front side, so the aim of it is to load high, to twist my shoulders earlier, to be able to hold my front side and get the ball to bounce away more to the right-hander. So it’s something that I’ll use against right-handers with the red ball a little bit more, but it’s just a technical tweak to get my shoulder a little bit more aligned to the batter.”Popey spotted it when he batted [in the nets] but a few of the guys didn’t really notice it too much. So I’m hoping that opposition batters won’t be able to spot anything. It’s just a real flow through the action to relax the arms and try to get a bit more flick.”Whether Broad plays in Mount Maunganui on Thursday or is saved for the second Test and a return to Wellington on February 24, Broad’s return will come off the longest break he has had since his school days. His domestic season ended at the end of September as Nottinghamshire sealed promotion to Division One. Then came the newborn and the associated loss of free time. “I didn’t do a huge amount because even having a shower was quite a big commitment to be honest.” he says. “Bowling six overs indoors just wasn’t going to happen.”He probably could do with a few more sessions ahead of the first Test if selected, though Cyclone Gabrielle is expected to wash out any hope of meaningful outdoor practice on Monday and probably Tuesday, too. But there are no regrets for Broad after what he regards as an incredibly fortunate few months at home.”I feel very lucky and blessed for Baz to have let me miss that period away from cricket,” he says. “I watched it [the Pakistan tour] intensely as a great tour to watch, and the guys really enjoyed it. I feel very lucky to have been around for the birth and the first 12 weeks of Annabella’s life. It’s certainly life-changing, that is for sure. It’s incredible. But I’ve enjoyed being back with the group here and it’s been a great first two weeks.”Unfortunately, Broad’s time away was also a period of sadness as his father-in-law passed away after a short illness. Missing the tour meant he was able to be there for his partner, Mollie, and her family.With anyone else, becoming a father and suffering loss might offer a reminder that there are more important things than cricket. But Broad has never lacked for perspective or taken what he has for granted, which is exactly why he finds himself back here in New Zealand, on the cusp of his 160th Test, with 566 wickets to improve upon, and an 11th Ashes series on the horizon.Though he may have less control over his own destiny, with uncertainty over how much road there is to go, he is arguably the embodiment of a team living in the moment and wanting to test the limits of what they can achieve.