Unlikely inspiration: Stuart Broad says he mimicked Shane Warne's batting stance for his blazing fifty
England fast bowler Stuart Broad has revealed that he mimicked Australian spin legend Shane Warne's batting stance during his blazing 62 in the ongoing third and final Test against the West Indies here.
Broad struck a 33-ball fifty on the second day, the joint third-fastest Test fifty by an England player. He said he adopted Warne's stance after a suggestion from former England head coach Peter Moores, who is now associated with his county side, Nottinghamshire.
"Tactically it was the right thing to do ... he (Moores) brought me the example of Shane Warne who didn't look particularly pretty at times but hit balls in different areas and was really effective, especially in the 2005 Ashes," Broad said after the second day's play.
"Quite unorthodox, opening up different parts of the field; I looked at that, did a bit of research as to how he went about it and decided it was a good way for me to go - opening up the off side."
Warne had tormented England with the ball for 14 years and holds the record for the most Test runs without a century.
Broad came to the wicket with England at 280/8 but his batting heroics put his team in the driver's seat.
"Batting is such a frustrating, weird thing. If you'd have told me this morning I'd get 10, I'd be pretty happy, and then you end up getting 60 and start kicking the ground that you've not got 70," he said.
"There was a little bit of thought process in the madness, but I did enjoy myself out there."
Broad was dropped for the first Test that England lost in Southampton, and showed his disgust and disappointment in a TV interview midway through the match.
Brought back into the side for the second Test, Broad took three wickets in each innings before coming up with blazing knock in the ongoing third Test here.
