Stuart Broad admits England being under-prepared for the Ashes opener

The upcoming Ashes series is scheduled to begin on Wednesday (December 8). England all-rounder Stuart Broad believes the team is underprepared heading into the five-match Test series against Australia. Rain has had a say in the tourists’ preparation for the Ashes as only seven sessions were possible in the warm-up matches. Broad, who himself has returned to the England team after sustaining a calf injury feels it is a virtually non-existent build-up to the Ashes series.

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He also said the bowlers will be heading into the contest with minimal preparation. Broad said he is looking fit to play all the five-Test matches but admits the circumstances are not ideal. The COVID-19 pandemic coupled with strict quarantine norms will be tough on pacers. Broad, James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Chris Woakes, and Ben Stokes are the pacers in the side.

“Of course, I want to be out there from the start, and fitness-wise I am good to go having recovered fully from the calf injury that kept me sidelined at the end of the summer, but the selection is in other people’s hands and I think I'll play in one of the two matches. It is going to be tall ask for fast bowlers to go back to back here in the circumstances we find ourselves in,” Broad said to Daily Mail.

“As bowlers, we are going from minimal preparation to high intensity and that will provide a spike in our conditioning. Physically we are nowhere near ready for Test cricket, I don’t think any one of us on either side will be where we want to be just because of the virtually non-existent build-up to this series.”

If Broad features in the playing XI for the first Ashes Test, then he will get to play the 150th match for England. Overall he has taken 524 Test wickets at an average of 27.84.