Broad accepts need to play waiting game
london — Stuart Broad has accepted the decision of the England and Wales Cricket Board to prevent him playing in Nottinghamshire’s second match of the new season even though he wanted to continue to appear for his county.
Fast bowler Broad is a centrally contracted player and, as such, it is ECB director Andrew Strauss, his former England captain, who has the final say on when he can play for Midlands county Nottinghamshire.
The ECB confirmed on Wednesday that it was sticking to its plans for both Broad and Test new-ball partner James Anderson, neither of whom now feature in international white-ball cricket.
The pair, who are unlikely to be needed by England until the first Test against South Africa in July, will be rested this week after appearing in County Championship openers for Nottinghamshire and Lancashire respectively before returning on April 21.
Broad bowled a mere 21 overs in Nottinghamshire’s three-day win over Midlands rivals Leicestershire, the county where he started his career he hoped this meant he would be free to play against Durham this week. “It is a tricky one,” Broad told Talksport Radio. “Straussy won’t mind me saying I spoke to him, (and) I wanted to play this week. I felt in a really good rhythm and wanted to carry that on.
“But I think as a player sometimes you do get in that short-term mindset — ‘I want to play now, I want to play now’ — and the ECB very much control workloads throughout a whole year.”
Broad added: “They’re going to want their bowlers come Boxing Day (December 26), come the Sydney Test in the new year. —