Stuart Broad is ready to take on the world in bid to give England a grand slam
England's chances of completing their version of a cricketing grandslam received a major boost with the news that pacemanStuart Broad could be back in Australia by next weekend.
Broad was forced to miss out on the Ashes triumph after tearing astomach muscle while bowling in the second Test victory in Adelaide, atwhich time he was immediately ruled out of the remainder of the tour. But the 24-year-old had scans on Thursday which gave him the all-clear to return to Australia as soon as possible.
Ready for a return: Stuart BroadEngland will take care not to rush Broad back into action before heis 100 per cent ready, so he may sit out the seven-match one-dayseries, which began in the early hours of this morning in Melbourne.
Coach Andy Flower was always confident that Broad would be fit to be considered for selection for the 2011 World Cup.
The England medical team even held out a slim hope that he might beable to return Down Under at some stage in order to continue hisrehabilitation with the squad under the supervision of bowling coachDavid Saker.
ONE-DAY SERIES
Australia v England
Sunday: Melbourne, 3.20am
Fri, Jan 21: Hobart, 3.20am
Sun, Jan 23: Sydney, 3.20am
Wed, Jan 26: Adelaide, 3.20am
Sun, Jan 30: Brisbane, 3.20am
Wed, Feb 2: Sydney, 3.20am
Sun, Feb 6: Perth, 3.20amNow the fact that he is ahead of schedule with his recovery afterundergoing surgery raises the faint possibility he could even play inone of the final one-dayers, which continue for another three weeksbefore the seventh and final match in Perth on February 6. With only a week of practice and just two warm-up matches prior toEngland's World Cup opener against Holland in Nagpur, the meticulousFlower would ideally wish to end this tournament with his World Cupfirst XI on the pitch.
Jimmy Anderson, who flew home l! astweek to rest after his arduous Ashes campaign, is due to return for theculmination of the series.
Broad's recovery from injury will mean heartache, however, for at least one of the current one-day squad.
With England likely to take only five front-line pacemen to use on the slow and low pitches on the subcontinent, one of Ajmal Shahzad, Chris Tremlett and latest T20 hit Chris Woakes will miss out when the original World Cup 30 is cut in half by Wednesday.
Woakes could still find a way in if he is preferred as the all-rounder ahead of Luke Wright.
Tricky situation: Andrew Strauss says the selection process isn't easEngland captain Andrew Strauss said: 'It's an awkward situation where you have to announce a World Cup squad after the first game of a seven-game series. It makes things tricky for everyone. There is a lot of competition for places.
'Kevin Pietersen is back in the squad and we all know what he can bring to the England team. One of the batsman has got to miss out. It will be a tough call but I think that's a good position to be in.'
Broad, who sustained the injury straining for extra pace to try to deliver victory in Adelaide, was 'heartbroken' and 'distraught' at leaving the tour, not least because it denied him the opportunity to emulate his father, Chris, in winning the Ashes Down Under.
ENGLAND'S WORLD CUP SQUAD (possible)
K Pietersen, P Collingwood, E Morgan,
J Trott, C Woakes, T Bresnan, S Broad, C Tremlett, J Anderson, G Swann,
M Yardy! , S Pate l.'Within two or three balls of my spell, I knew I was in big trouble,'he said. 'I immediately said to Jimmy Anderson, "I might be struggling here". I got through a few overs but it felt like someone was stabbing me in the stomach. I put in a couple of bouncers and I could hardly breathe. I knew my tour was over. 'My next focus is to get it 100per cent right and be fresh and ready to perform for the World Cup.' Strauss has also backed Paul Collingwood to emerge from his run of poor form in time for the World Cup.
'We're expecting him to come back strong,' he said. 'He's a strong character and there have been plenty of times where he has come back with a bang.'
Collingwood, who retired from Test cricket during the final Ashes encounter in Sydney, said: 'I still feel that I have a huge amount to contribute.'
More...
- Docherty handed final chance to clinch World Cup spot by Australia selectors
- Johnson's the hero as Australia end England's record run with victory in Melbourne
- Greenway stars again as England beat Australia in second T20 international
Comments