After England’s tame exit from the ICC Cricket World Cup, former captain Michael Vaughan has suggested that Stuart Broad may be the man to inject new impetus into England’s one-day set-up.
Andrew Strauss’s men were humbled by 10 wickets at the hands of World Cup co-hosts Sri Lanka at the weekend, and with Strauss now tipped to step down from skippering in ODIs, Vaughan has suggested in an interview with the BBC that a “leftfield” choice of an all-rounder like Broad rather than specialist batsman like the favourite for the role, Alastair Cook, might take England in a new, more positive direction in the 50-overs game.
“I think the one-day team just needs a different approach,” said Vaughan, England’s successful Ashes captain from 2005. “Someone like Stuart Broad… I’ve always felt, from the first time he came into the England side, under my capataincy, that he has some kind of drive and is positive and aggressive.
“I don’t think it would be a massive gamble… I think the one-day team might just grow under someone like Stuart Broad, who plays it pretty tough.
“He’ll get close to the line, but I think he’ll be the right move.”
Vaughan pointed to the lack of success over two decades, commenting that most ODI captains in recent times have been specialist batsmen (or batsmen who bowl), from Strauss today back to Graham Gooch in the early ’90s, and that an all-rounder in charge might usher in some fresh thinking.
'Broad’s always been a big thinker of the game' – Michael Vaughan
“England since 1992 have done very badly at one-day cricket,” Vaughan added. “We may have to change something, we may have to go with a different kind of man at the helm, a bowler who bats.”
Vaughan also believes that the pressure of being a skipper and all-rounder is no greater than that of a captain opening the batting.
“Say he does too much?” Vaughan said. “Well, an opening batsman has to go out and open the batting after having just directed the ship for 50 overs with maybe a 10-minute gap in-between.”
Vaughan also argues that Broad’s ‘heart-on-his-sleeve’ behaviour on the pitch suits the urgency required in one-day cricket, and thinks he has the kind of intelligence required for ODI tactical play.
“I don’t mind that. I think one-day cricket is a bit like that,” he said of Broad’s expressive nature on the field.
“I think one-day cricket is completely instinctive, you have to be ahead of the game. [Broad]’s always been a big thinker of the game, Alastair Cook is as well, but, I don’t know, there something in me – I always go on gut feelings – I think England might favour going with someone that maybe not many people will have though of, the bat and bowling option he brings.
“I’m not sure what he can do with the players – you need players – but try something different.”
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