VAUGHAN GETS A BROAD-SIDE
Under-fire ace lets wickets do talking
STUART BROAD laid into former England skipper Michael Vaughan after flaying Pakistan yesterday.
Vaughan called for Broad to be dropped after the first Test shambles at Lord’s when England were beaten with a day to spare.
But Broad replied by taking 3-38 in three near unplayable spells at Headingley as Pakistan were shot out for 174 after winning the toss and batting, with England 106-2 in reply at the close.
He was unlucky not to get more wickets as Pakistan crashed to 78-6 before Shadab Khan’s 56 helped them post three figures.
Broad then let rip at media pundit Vaughan, saying: “You get used to positive and negative opinions but sometimes I don’t think it is justified and this time it did anger me a little because I felt it was unfair and targeted.
Wake-up
“I have come under a lot of criticism in my career and a lot of it has been justified.
“But I didn’t feel it was particularly fair so it was a bit disappointing.
“Only two Tests ago I got eight wickets in Christchurch and I have been beating the bat.”
Vaughan suggested, both on radio and in his newspaper column, that England’s dressing room had become stale and needed “a wake-up call” adding either Broad or Jimmy Anderson should be dropped.
But Broad rapped: “It’s a complete shot in the dark isn’t it.
“I don’t think he has much insight into the England changing room.
“I don’t think players talk to him about what is going on in the changing room, so I think it was a bit of a wild guess.”
Broad was denied a wicket early in his first over when Imam-ul-Haq successfully reviewed a rising ball missing the top of the stumps. But Broad had him caught by skipper Joe Root with the final delivery of the over.
And by the time he had trapped opener Azhar Ali and debutant Usman Salahuddin lbw Pakistan’s innings was in ruins.
In between Chris Woakes – replacing Mark Wood in the line-up – and Anderson helped themselves to three wickets each while Sam Curran took the final scalp on his debut.
It was a poor batting display from Pakistan, who ignored the lessons of their stubborn and disciplined display in the first Test at Lord’s and kept taking risks on a belter of a strip.
England were excellent but having got Pakistan six down, Root was frustrated to let them climb to 174.
England had 37 overs to face before the end and Keaton Jennings, reinstated at the expense of Mark Stoneman just over nine months after he was dropped, made a confident start but holed out on 29.
Alastair Cook then fell four runs short of a half-century, slashing at a short ball from Hasan Ali which he feathered behind, and was visibly annoyed with himself as he walked off.
England start again today only 68 runs behind with eight wickets in hand.
Root is still there unbeaten on 29 with nightwatchman Dom Bess yet to score.