Broad is lined up as a future Sky pundit
ENGLAND’s struggling opening bowler stuart Broad, whose poor form in Australia has raised questions about his international cricket future, has an escape route into television.
Broad, whose capture of Usman Khawaja yesterday ended a run of bowling 69 overs without a wicket, is highly rated by sky sports as a future pundit.
And were Broad to end his England career, it’s likely a job offer would come from sky sports to join their illustrious cricket commentary team.
Broad would still have to prove himself worthy of joining sky’s top tier of cricket analysts. But among the current crop of England players, the fast-medium bowler is reckoned to have the best chance of succeeding on TV, having had some media training.
Meanwhile, the word inside the England camp is that Broad, single since splitting with lingerie model Bealey Mitchell last May, has been one of the sporting celebrities invited to join the exclusive dating app Tinder select. Two other members of the England touring party have been less successful with their applications.
UNSEASONABLY poor weather may have followed England around Australia on this Ashes tour but England operations manager Phil Neale, famous for sunbathing at every conceivable opportunity, is still sporting his usual deep tan.
l YOUR Sports Agenda columnist, who has had a difficult time with some Australian cricketers in the past, feared the worst when Merv Hughes was the first person encountered on entering the MCG. But, thank goodness, this wasn’t a welcoming party. The huge Hughes, with whom the last encounter had been a painful jab in the back in the press box at The Oval, looked right through me without a flicker of recognition.
Vaughan shows no fear
CREDIT former England captain Michael Vaughan for being a fearless pundit on BT sport and Test Match Special. He may have shared a holiday with stuart Broad at the Margaret River home of Adam Gilchrist before the Perth Test and both are involved with the IsM sports agency, but Vaughan couldn’t have been more critical of Broad’s bowling, saying he should be dropped from the England team.
l THE most inspired decision of the first day of the Melbourne Test — made by The Sun’s cricket correspondent — was recommending Bob Willis to present debutant Tom Curran with his England cap. The players hung on every word from Willis. A genuine fast bowler and an Ashes hero at Headingley in 1981, Willis welcomed Curran to the ‘Three Lions club’ and recalled how he, like Curran, had been a Surrey player when called up as an Ashes replacement in 1970-71.
PAUL SHEAHAN, former president of the Melbourne Cricket Club, caused a stir at his club’s Boxing Day reception at the MCG four years ago when he said in his speech that he wished Australia’s 3-0 Ashes domination had been achieved ‘with more grace’, calling the aggressive approach ‘not a good look’. Not much has changed in how an even more bad-tempered series has shaped up this time but the only request in the address made by the new MCC president, steven smith (no relation), was for a good game at the MCG.