Stuart Broad has not played an ODI since last year’s World Cup © Getty Images
Stuart Broad has been recalled to the England ODI squad in South Africa in place of the injured Liam Plunkett. It is the first time Broad has been named in an ODI squad since England’s poor showing in the World Cup a year ago.
Plunkett, who was himself an injury replacement for Steven Finn, was called into the squad earlier this week but then sustained a thigh strain while training with England Lions in the UAE. As a consequence, he will remain with the Lions for the remainder of their series against Pakistan A before joining the England squad for the T20 section of their tour of South Africa.
That means there is no place for Broad in the T20 squad, which would suggest his chances of playing in the World T20, in India in March and April, remain low. England are hopeful that Finn, who has a side strain, will have recovered in time for that tournament.
Broad, who rose to No. 1 in the Test rankings following his impressive performance in Johannesburg last week, has made no secret of his desire to return to the limited-overs squads.
“I’m desperate to play white-ball cricket again for England,” he said a couple of days after that Test. “You have a short career and I’m not going to play until I’m 37 or 38, so I want to play as much cricket as I possibly can.
“There is a lot of important white-ball cricket coming England’s way with the World T20, the Champions Trophy and then the 2019 World Cup. I want to be involved.
“The dream of mine is to play in that World Cup and win it at home. That would be epic. “
George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo