Stuart Broad wants Joe Root's wicket in county season opener
"We've actually got dinner booked in a pub on Friday night, me, Jimmy and Rooty. If I get him out, he might cancel"
Friday 5 April 2019 06:12, UK
Stuart Broad is eager to dismiss his England Test captain Joe Root when the two meet in the County Championship season opener at Trent Bridge on Friday.
Broad's Nottinghamshire host Root's Yorkshire in the first game of the season, and the all-rounder joked that a pub meal planned between the pair and fellow England team-mate, Lancashire's Jimmy Anderson, could be in jeopardy.
"It would be nice [to get Root out]", Broad told Sky Sports News. "We've actually got dinner booked in a pub on Friday night, me, Jimmy and Rooty.
"If I get him out, he might cancel. But I've also got to be careful he doesn't get me out as well.
"It's great to have those rivalries. We're great friends and have played a lot of cricket together, but as soon as he wears the white rose of Yorkshire and I put a Notts stag on, we're enemies.
"We both have a lot of pride and passion playing for our counties. We want to win.
"He obviously adds a lot of quality to their team, but it's great as everyone gets the chance to impress the England captain.
"There are certainly some spots up for grabs in the Ashes series. What a great opportunity for guys to put runs on the board and take some wickets."
While there are indeed Ashes spots up for grabs with four months still to go before the first Test at Edgbaston on August 1, England's one-day squad seems to be a more settled unit as they get set for a World Cup starting on May 30.
Broad will not be part of that squad, but believes the pre-tournament favourites and hosts can indeed lift the trophy for a first time.
He said: "We've never had a better chance to win the World Cup. The team is as good as you'll ever find; the top seven is the best top seven England have ever produced.
"A club team-mate of mine, Alex Hales, is one of the best white-ball batsmen I've ever played with and he can't squeeze into that team at the minute. That shows the strength in depth.
"Then going into the Ashes after the excitement of a World Cup is awesome. Australia come here with a strong side - Steve Smith and David Warner will come back in, we assume, which will bring a different dynamic to the crowds as well at the first Test at Edgbaston."
As Broad's season kicks off on Friday, with such an important summer ahead, the Nottinghamshire and England man has set his targets high.
"World Cup win. Ashes win. And Nottinghamshire win the County Championship. That's my prediction," quipped Broad. "Also, Forest to get promoted. You've got to stay positive.
"We [Nottinghamshire] have got a really strong squad. It is exciting going into the season; we're not just hoping for trophies, but aiming for trophies.
"It's important we start the season well, adjust to conditions as quickly as possible, because Yorkshire is a really tough start for us.
"The players have been in preseason for a long time, so we're very excited about tomorrow.
"But it's actually about controlling the emotions a bit. Not going out there like headless chickens, controlling our skills and making sure we perform well."
