WE’RE UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
Careers at stake now says Broad
from RODNEY WHITE
STUART BROAD admits some of England’s big names are “playing for their careers” in the Melbourne Test.
Having surrendered the Ashes to Australia with barely a whimper, Broad and former captain Alastair Cook have faced calls for them to be axed.
Both responded to the criticism on day two of the fourth Test by rediscovering their form, with Broad taking 4-51 and Cook notching his 32nd Test century.
Broad said: “It shows a huge amount of character to be under that sort of scrutiny and pressure and come out and deliver any sort of performance, let alone a hundred like Cooky just has.
“Every time you step on the field you are pretty much playing for your careers. That is international cricket.
“But I don’t think you play this much international sport without some kind of deep inner self-confidence you can call on when you are very low.”
Former captain Michael Vaughan called for Broad to be dropped last week after England were trounced by an innings and 41 runs to lose the Ashes.
Cook has struggled for runs and fluency, leading to question marks over whether England’s most prolific Test batsman still has the hunger to keep going as an opener. Broad said: “It has been one of those weeks where you get your tin hat on, duck down and don’t see much. “I’ve been unaware of what’s written, what’s been said. “But you have to go to that place as a sportsman and find something within yourself, get support from people around you and build yourself back up. You can get yourself in a dark place if you read everything.
“You have something there to clutch on to when things get tough. That hopefully brings back the strong performances. Both of us have put in strong performances over these two days.
“Changing room celebrations when Cooky got that hundred were huge. That’s testament to the way he is. He’s a calm character, doesn’t get fazed or down.
“He is tough as well, a very mentally strong guy, and things were always going to go his way eventually.”
Cook was dropped on 66 by Steve Smith at slip off Mitchell Marsh.
He reached his century in the final over of the day, with captain Joe Root on 49 not out, as England closed on 192-2, still 135 runs behind Australia’s first-innings total of 327.