Monday 17 March 2014 18:34, UK
England captain Stuart Broad is confident he will be able to “play a full part” in the ICC World Twenty20 despite his recent knee injury.
Broad was forced to miss the last two matches of England’s tour to the West Indies to undergo treatment for patella tendinitis.
And although Broad is unlikely to play in Tuesday’s warm-up game against the Windies in Fatullah, the 27-year-old expects to face India in Mirpur ahead of England’s opening game on March 22.
“I might not play tomorrow as I haven’t actually run on my knee since I had the injection but I’d say I will definitely play against India the next day,” Broad said.
“The soreness has gone a little bit. We had 12 hours in Dubai where I was able to get a gym session in and it seems to be progressing pretty well.
“If it was a Test match tour it might be more concerning. But with it only being four overs a game I am pretty confident I will be able to play a full part in this World Cup.”
Broad also indulged in the now traditional round of cautious optimism, declaring his team well prepared and ready to fight for a trophy they won in 2010.
In truth, they are the least fancied of the Test playing nations and with unexpected personnel changes and an Ashes hangover still to be shaken off, a semi-final berth would be seen as a real achievement.
But Broad said: "The guys have been in great spirits and are really excited about coming here and putting those skills to the test.
"This is our last tour of the winter having been in Australia for a lot of it but there is still a lot of excitement and energy about the World Cup and that is what you need.
"The thing about T20 World Cups is that it is all about momentum and peaking for those two-and-a-half, three weeks. The fact that no side has won it twice shows there is no particular speciality in the way you play, just that one team gets on a roll.
"In sub-continental conditions you probably expect a sub-continental team to be in the final and take victory but we know deep down we have some really good match-winners in our team. If one of those can take the tournament by the scruff of the neck suddenly you can find yourself in the final or a semi-final so it is really exciting."
England play their first group game against New Zealand on March 22 in Chittagong, where they also take on Sri Lanka, South Africa and a yet to be determined qualifier for a place in the last four.
