Broad hungry for World Cup tilt

Stuart Broad claims he is fresh and looking to add some energy to the England bowling attack for their World Cup assault.

Broad missed the majority of the victorious Ashes series and the ODI mauling at the hands of Australia after being struck down by an abdominal injury. He returned from two months on the sidelines to spare England's blushes with a five-wicket haul in the victory over Canada on Wednesday. He has admitted to pulling up a little stiff, but expects to be at full tilt for the World Cup opener with Netherlands on February 22.

"It is really good to be back," Broad told Sky Sports News. "It was two months since I last played so I was a bit nervous before the start. But it was great to get back on the pitch and take a few wickets."

England were far from impressive in beating Canada by 16 runs, but Broad feels there were positives to take from the game - notably assured batting from Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior and his own efforts with the ball. "We weren't overly happy with the performance but there are positives we can take out of the game," he said.

"I feel very fresh. Having not played for a long time it was all training-based, so I felt fit and excited to be back on the park and can bring some energy to the unit. I feel like I am bowling at a decent pace. The ball was going through nicely.

"I pulled up a bit stiff this morning but hopefully I can recuperate for tomorrow and put in another strong performance [against Pakistan].

"Everybody is excited to be here and the energy levels are fantastic. It has been a long winter but it is something you have to crack on with and when you have an opportunity to play a world tournament, it is something everybody is tuned in to."