Was Broad brought back too soon?
Stuart Broad has had a rough last few months
Tariq Engineer
25-Feb-2013
Stuart Broad has had a rough last few months. Injured during the Ashes, then injured during the World Cup, it is something of a triumph for him just to be back in an England shirt. After running the rule over his first day performance in the opening Test against Sri Lanka, David Lloyd writes in the Independent that England should perhaps have delayed Broad’s return until he had shaken the rust from his boots.
Andrew Strauss gave Broad the new ball, in partnership with Anderson, but saw England's newly appointed Twenty20 captain struggle to find the sort of consistency that was a hallmark of the team's success in Australia. There were some good deliveries, as one would expect on a pitch offering just a hint of assistance if no pace whatsoever during the first few overs. But there was too much loose stuff as well – meat and drink to Sri Lanka's in-form openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Tharanga Paranavitana.
Tariq Engineer is a former senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo