How Stuart Broad came alive to keep critics at bay?
England pace bowler Stuart Broad has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. After England's poor performance in the first Test against Pakistan, fans called for Broad's head once again. Former skipper Michael Vaughan openly claimed that he would have dropped the player for the second Test. But at Headingley, Broad bowled like a champion. Let's decode his performance.
Broad has been inconsistent in recent past
Broad had a dismal 2017-18 Ashes campaign, where he picked a total of 11 wickets in five Tests at a pathetic average of 47.72. The Aussie pacers enjoyed their time and Broad's strike partner James Anderson bowled well too. But Broad wasn't on song. Even prior to that, in the home series against South Africa and West Indies, he wasn't at his best.
Post Kiwi challenge, Broad was questioned again
He came back strong against New Zealand in March in the two-match Test series, picking 11 wickets that included a six-for. Based on that, the expectations were high. He was expected to be one of the key pillars of England's bowling. However, his returned with 1/61 and 0/13 in the first Test against Pakistan. England's 9-wicket loss saw the senior player being criticized.
The response at Headingley
Against Pakistan in the 2nd Test at Leeds, Broad showed his prowess with figures of 3/38. He came up with a lot of intensity and discipline, that was missing in the first Test. He got the key wickets of Imam-ul Haq, Azhar Ali in the beginning, before coming back to dismiss Usman Salahuddin. England toppled Pakistan for a paltry score of 174 runs.
What did Broad say post his performance?
Broad stated that the criticism that came on his post was harsh. He added that he has faced such words through out this career and he has now got used to the same. After Vaughan's statement, Broad said that the comments had put him under pressure, but his job is to deliver when the chips are down.
