Just to prove it’s not all about money Stuart Broad, who turned down the possibility of an IPL contract to concentrate on his Test career, did more than anyone to ensure that the visitors kept in touch with West Indies
Andrew McGlashan in Jamaica07-Feb-2009
Stuart Broad: line, length, and wickets © Getty Images
On a day when another group of cricketers were made very rich, with Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff topping the pile, this Test produced a day that was far removed from the manic world of Twenty20. Yet even though 90 overs produced only 192 runs, the fascinating and fluctuating battle that developed was gripping.Pietersen and Flintoff were England’s big earners in the IPL, but Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah also pocketed the tidy sum of US$275,000 each. Only Flintoff from those four, however, is a frontline bowler, aptly summing up a day when England’s attack had to exert huge energy for hard-earned rewards. Nothing was going to come as easy on this pitch as a Twenty20 pay-day.Just to prove it’s not all about money Stuart Broad, who turned down the possibility of an IPL contract to concentrate on his Test career, did more than anyone to ensure that the visitors kept in touch with West Indies. Broad has always come across as a mature player and his decision to step back from the IPL was made for very sensible reasoning.”I’m still firm on my decision. I’m still only 22 and there’s plenty of time for that sort of stuff,” he said. “I made the decision based on personal factors of having played a lot of cricket in the last 18 months and I felt like I needed a break. No amount of money could change that. We have a three-week break and then the chance of playing in the Ashes.”Those same level-headed qualities helped him overcome a below-par second-day performance to collect three important wickets. Two strikes in three balls boosted his confidence, then his day got even better when he collected the normally immoveable Shivnarine Chanderpaul for a modest 20.”It was pleasing to get a couple of wickets at that stage. Gayle and Sarwan applied themselves really well and made us go to them,” he said. “It proved difficult to get them out, but luckily we went bang, bang just before lunch. All through the day the boys bowled fantastically on what is a very slow, flat wicket.”This is an important tour for Broad. He has been talked up as a Test bowler since he made his debut in the stifling heat of Colombo in 2007-08, where he was also faced with one of the most soul-destroying pitches for a paceman. But he pounded in for 36 overs and although he took just a single wicket he earned plenty of brownie points.However, potential can only support a player for so long. This is his 11th Test and before he began bowling he had 26 wickets at 45.23. Andrew Strauss has sent out a rallying call to his quick bowlers to take the pressure off Andrew Flintoff, and Broad needs to play his part.If Broad is looking for inspiration for Caribbean success he might immediately turn towards a team-mate. Five years ago Steve Harmison arrived with a career record of 41 wickets from 12 matches (and that had been boosted by nine in his previous Test against Bangladesh), but promptly destroyed West Indies with 7 for 12 at this venue and collected 23 scalps in the series. A few months later he was world No. 1.However, the pitch on that tour had more pace and carry, something that Broad was quick to notice. “I remember watching at home when Harmy got 7 for 12 and thinking I’d love to bowl on that one day,” he said with a wry smile. “Then my time comes and it’s three-bouncing to the keeper.”Instead of looking at Harmison for his inspiration, however, Broad could do a lot worse than look at Angus Fraser, who had an outstanding record in this region in the course of three productive tours. In 1989-90 he took 5 for 28 in the famous Sabina Park victory, then five years later took 8 for 75 in Barbados. Then, in 1997-98, he claimed 8 for 53 in what turned into a painful loss in Trinidad as Carl Hooper and David Williams defied the odds in an improbable run-chase. A few days later, however, he bounced back with a match haul of nine as England squared the series at the same venue.The secret to Fraser’s success, as it was throughout his career, was a nagging line and length, which was perfectly suited to Caribbean pitches around the time they were starting to keep low. It was a similar strategy that brought Broad his victims, as he had Gayle dragging on and both Xavier Marshall and Chanderpaul pinned lbw.”It’s a shame the pitches are so slow, but you have to deal with that as bowlers and it’s a way of testing your skills,” Broad said. “You have to bowl your cutters, slower balls and try and deceive the batsmen out rather than using your pace.”It’s a result pitch and has a history of deteriorating. We are certainly thinking very positively in the changing rooms that we have a chance in this fixture.” If England are to win it will require more of the same from Broad, but he won’t shirk from the hard work. The rewards may be less glamorous than IPL riches, but he knows they are more meaningful.
