Stuart Broad wants England pacers to adapt quickly at Lord’s ahead of first Test against Pakistan

England’s Stuart Broad has urged his fellow pacers to prepare and adapt quickly to what could be another slow surface at the Lord’s cricket ground as the hosts gear up for the first of the four-match Test series against Pakistan, starting July 14. Broad is wary of the fact that if the drawn, albeit rain-affected, third Test against Sri Lanka last month is anything to go by, the pacers will have to work hard to produce wickets. Broad will be spearheading the attack in the absence of their premier bowler, James Anderson, who has been ruled out of the series opener against Pakistan due to injury. ALSO READ: James Anderson top-ranked ICC Test bowler; Ravichandran Ashwin second

According to cricbuzz.com, he said, “Our biggest challenge is going to be this wicket. The Test match against Sri Lanka was a bit of a bore draw so it will be interesting to see what they produce. The biggest test for the bowling unit will be trying to do what no other team has done this year, which is to win a game and take 20 wickets at Lord’s. It was a challenge when we had Jimmy in the side four weeks ago, so it will be an even bigger challenge this time. As the leader of the pack, the 30-year-old realised the need to be able to communicate effectively with his relatively inexperienced teammates to enable his side to take a lead in the first Test. ALSO READ: Stuart Broad eager to make a comeback in England’s ODI squad

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“Our success comes from communication so the key will be getting a bond between the bowling unit and sharing a lot of information,” he said. “We always talk, not as an ego thing, but to try to get one over the opening batsman. A series can be a long time, so let’s try and stamp our authority quickly on them”, replied the pacer.

“We will be talking what seam is working. Is it a wobble seam? Should we hold it up dead straight? Like Headingley, can we push it fuller, or do we need to drag our lengths? With Anderson’s experience, that happens within three or four overs, so I would expect the bowlers to be talking all the time in the first hour, just trying to figure out what is happening. It will be our job to get as much out of the wicket as possible’, stated Broad. ALSO READ: Stuart Broad: Greatest impact bowler in history?

Broad, however, suggested that with an outside chance of Anderson regaining match fitness at the eleventh hour, the 116-Test veteran should have been named in a 13-member squad. “I would have been tempted because at least you have got him around working with the bowlers and pushing his fitness to play on Thursday,” said Broad in conclusion.