'Our job to deliver under pressure’ – Stuart Broad

Stuart Broad, who picked up 3/38 in Pakistan's first innings of the second Test against England at Headingley, said it is a part of a cricketer's job to deliver under pressure but that some of the criticism directed his way before the Test match was "unfair and a bit targeted".

Broad, 31, had an indifferent outing at Lord's, returning 1/61 and 0/13 in the first Test, which England lost by nine wickets. This led to former captain Michael Vaughan asking for either Broad or James Anderson to be dropped for the second Test.

“I've come under criticism a lot in my career and a lot of it has been justified. You get used to it,” said Broad at the end of the first day at Headingley, after England finished at 106/2 in reply to Pakistan's 174 in the first innings.

“I thought it (Vaughan's criticism) was a bit unfair and a bit targeted. It did put me under a bit more pressure this week, certainly going into this game, but part and parcel of our job is to deliver under pressure.”

England failed to win a single Test on their tours of Australia and New Zealand over the winter and consequently slipped to No.5 on the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings. While the home summer was expected to bring about a turn in fortunes, the humbling at Lord's left both the fans and players disappointed.

“At this level, you've always got a point to prove. But we didn't do ourselves justice at Lord's and we left there angry,” Broad said. “And, with the pressure we've been under, to come out and put in that sort of performance will give the changing room a lot of confidence.”

Broad attributed the lengths he bowled in the first innings to the slope at Headingley and said he relished the natural variation that the conditions had created.

“The fuller length can be due to the Headingley slope,” he said. “When you're running down the hill, it really takes you in, then the square levels off and your foot hits quite early. So it does sort of shock you into bowling a bit fuller.

“With the nip that was available today it was really worthwhile throwing it as full as we did but not every Test pitch is like that.”

Broad dismissed Azhar Ali, Imam-ul-Haq and Usman Salahuddin, the debutant, and combined with Anderson (3/43) and Chris Woakes (3/55), who came in for Mark Wood as one of the three changes that England made for Headingley, to dismantle the Pakistan batting line-up.