Broad confident of England’s pressure absorbing abilities ahead of Ashes series
Stuart Broad of England had one inspiring and interesting year so far. In eight test matches this year he has taken 24 wickets .He played well in all the departments of the game and was influential as a bowler and even as a batsman to an extent. He took
wickets at important times for the English side. He was able to bowl well, being able to strike at the right time for England. For Broad like many players, Ashes is one tour which will be a landmark for his career, as broad would like to think of it.
Many young players from England will be making their first tour of Australia this summer. For them, to prove their worth as quality cricketers would be their first priority, and to prove to everyone that they are star performers even in challenging conditions.
Stuart Broad is one cricketer who has matured a lot and has become one of England’s main strikers along with James Anderson. After making his debut back in 2006 he has been able to improve his performance and to earn the reputation of a strike and
wicket taking bowler rather than just a bowler who bowls fast. This factor was noted in the Oval test of the Ashes when he took five wickets against the Aussies which literally broke their back and left them in a position where they were unable
to save the series. The prime feature of that attack was to take 4 wickets in the span of just 21 balls. After performing well against Pakistan this summer he is geared up for the upcoming Ashes series against Australia.
But his confidence on England’s ability to handle pressure could be too great. There is no doubt that all is going well for the England side but they should know that they cannot afford to get too ahead of themselves.
Recently he said that the Pakistan series this summer taught his team to be much more professional and has given them lessons in
absorbing pressure from different corners. He said that during the Pakistan series too much was happening but their cricketers focused on their cricket and were able to absorb pressure from different dimensions.
He said that it’s what happens on the pitch that actually matters in determining the fate of the series. But one should understand that the opposition being played against is of immense importance. The England side were just spectators in what was a “one
team’s embarrassment show” during the spot fixing scandal which left Pakistan as the real victims and thus the real pressure was on them.
England had the media the crowds and even the ICC on their side. Even when the PCB chairman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128 made allegations against England regarding match fixing in the third ODI of the series, England were never in a position of being labeled as cheaters because
no one took his allegations seriously. He was criticized heavily even after claiming that he has concrete proof of his allegations. He was criticized by the ICC, the English cricket board, and the media as well. There was never any real pressure on England
from anyone for that matter as Pakistan were under the spotlight and all England had to do was play along and remain
quiet over any criticism.
For English player’s, their real pressure absorbing skills will be tested in Australia, where they would have to absorb pressure from all corners. For Broad to say that we have absorbed pressure well and have reacted positively when allegations were being
made, is not a big deal keeping in mind that http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 had an unpredictable and unreliable line up that could collapse at any time. Their batting form was pathetic in the test series and had made two of the lowest scores in an innings in recent times like the
score of 74 in the first innings at lords in the fourth test. They did not perform well throughout the series and were second behind England.
To play against a demoralized side and then claim that we were able to handle the off field pressure well, was a bit of a stretch. They did play 'well', but it was due to Pakistan’s own batting collapses in the One day and Test series and their unpredictability
that contributed to their win more than any other factor. They did come out as
winners after losing two consecutive matches against Pakistan but this was once again the contribution of an unpredictable team.
In Australia they would be facing much tougher opponents, who have a remarkable record at home. Australia is one team that has lost very little at home. Pressure would be on England from all sides, be it the media, ex-players or current
players. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746, unlike Pakistan, are less unpredictable and are much more consistent in their approach. To perform against such a side in their own backyard would be one great achievement to look for.
The pressure of playing such a side would be far greater than playing any other side. England, to an extent are aware of this and Broad recently said that we are not thinking of holding the Ashes beforehand. But overall they should know
that if they think that the situation this summer in England was a difficult one for them but they came out
on top, they better gear up for something far more difficult. This is where their real test would begin.
This English side has to wash the dirt off their clothes, left from their previous Australian tour where they were whitewashed 5-0 in the series. The pressure Ashes creates is very tough to handle and players have to stay mentally alert at all times. Players
can get carried away from the comments coming their way and could react irrationally to these statements.
The psychological pressure that Australians create over their rivals can really affect player performance. Recently many comments have come on Pieterson’s current from Ponting, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Buchanan-c48808, who is supposed to take the English
coaching assignment, reflected on the fact that no player is spared from criticism and comes under pressure to be judged.
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