Have to win trophies to be 'classed as great' – Stuart Broad eyes the World Cup
England have reached the World Cup final thrice, but have been unable to cross the last frontier on all three occasions. They are keen to change that in the upcoming edition of the tournament, for which they are also co-hosts.
"We are training hard now and doing all we can to stay in peak physical shape," said Broad on the Test Match Special podcast. For English cricket, [this is] our best ever chance of winning a World Cup. I can't think we've had [before] the talent of players who can win games single-handedly in the likes of [Jason] Roy, [Jos] Buttler, [Ben] Stokes, [Eoin] Morgan.
"You talk about eras of sports teams... You are only judged on winning trophies, aren't you? You can't name me a great sports team that hasn't won a major trophy. For this England ODI side to be classed as a great team, they're going to have to win the World Cup."
Broad and James Anderson, the veteran pace duo, have both made changes their bowling technique to bring enhance their output ahead of the big summer. "The teller is that both of us have made tweaks to our bowling techniques and with our run-ups in the last four-five months," explained Broad.
"Jimmy lengthened his in St Lucia because he didn't feel he had the momentum to get off the pitch. I've shortened mine to 16m, by at least 3-4m after conversations with Chris Silverwood, Sir Richard Hadlee, to shorten my stride pattern, help my rhythm and pace. Those sort of improvements that players are looking for is a bit of a highlight that they're not thinking of stopping soon.
"Last summer I bowled a lot into the wind. That made me long in my stride and delivery action. I needed a way to shorten my stride pattern so I stayed a bit taller and stronger at the crease. I'm really excited by this summer. I feel like it could reinvent me a little bit in the way that I could have really good control, wobble the ball both ways.
Anderson, who turns 37 in July, has been England's most bankable bowler for over a decade now. This consistency, which has helped him claim 862 international scalps, has developed through a rigorous yet smart training routine.
"What Jimmy does is, he wouldn't bowl in the nets every day," revealed Broad. "He doesn't train for training's sake. He is really specific with what he gets out of each session. Quality, not quantity. As a fast bowler, that's your biggest thing. If you bowl all day every day, you're going to break."