Broad must embrace responsibility: Flower

Flower insists that Broad didn’t bowl badly in the Test series against Sri Lanka. “I didn’t think he bowled as badly as his figures suggested against Sri Lanka. I’ve got a lot of respect for Broad as a young cricketer,” Flower was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.

“He’s got pace and bounce and he’s a great competitor - but he can be more accurate. I’ve heard some crazy stuff about him being - and I hate this word - an ‘enforcer’.  His job is to create pressure and to take wickets and to do that you generally bowl at off-stump. So, his job is not to rough up the opposition. It is not to be this ridiculous ‘enforcer’.

“He’s passionate about playing for England, but he has a responsibility to behave in the right way. He is perfectly well aware of it because he’s smart. He must embrace that responsibility and act accordingly.”

After an unimpressive series against Sri Lanka, Broad went back to play county cricket and regained form by picking six wickets for Nottinghamshire against Somerset. It was also the first time Broad bowled 50 overs in his career.

The former Zimbabwe player also said England are not “overconfident” about becoming the number one Test side and their focus remains on winning the “vitally important” series against India.

“People are amazed that we talk about being the No 1 side in the world. People make a big thing of it - especially commentators and ex-players,” he said.

“When they (former players) played for England, did they not want to be the best side in the world? Doesn’t every Test team want that goal? Surely? Isn’t it very obvious and natural? I find it strange that it is seen as overconfidence or an outlandish goal. Surely, that is the goal you should have? Otherwise aren’t you selling yourself and your country short?”