Stuart Broad expects England’s World Cup opener against Australia on Valentine’s Day to be among “the biggest games” of his and his team-mates’ lives.
With 243 international caps, Broad has played in plenty of important matches from Ashes Tests to the 2010 World Twenty20 final.
Yet Saturday’s clash versus the co-hosts in front of an anticipated 90,000 spectators at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is up there for Broad and Co.
Busy media morning for the team: interviews, head shots, bat signings & more #CWC15pic.twitter.com/2Nte78ctmh
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 7, 2015
Australia won all three Tri-Series meetings with England, latterly in Sunday’s final as Eoin Morgan’s side could not follow up victory over World Cup holders India in what was effectively a semi-final two days before.
While England were unable to string two consecutive triumphs together in the Tri-Series, they have the chance to do that this week in warm-ups versus West Indies on Monday and Pakistan on Wednesday.
Both those fixtures are at the Sydney Cricket Ground where Broad today said: “It would have been nice to have got back-to-back wins leading into this World Cup, but now we’ve got an opportunity to do that.
“We’ve got two warm-up games in Sydney before obviously a massive game, one of the biggest games of all of our careers, on Saturday.”
After facing Australia, England are set to meet New Zealand, the other co-hosts, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan as they seek to be one of the four among those teams to reach the last eight.
Should England do so, their quarter-final will be back at the MCG and they will be three wins from a first World Cup crown.
“Every game’s going to be huge in this World Cup,” Broad added.
Fast bowler @StuartBroad8 proves he's a natural in front of camera during #CWC15 filming for television #Lo... https://t.co/OW7TdBOA3r
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 7, 2015
“You can’t afford too many slip-ups or anything, but I think we’ve built up momentum quite nicely.
“It would have been nice to get a win over Australia in the Tri-Series, but there wouldn’t be a better time to do it than Saturday.
“I think players individually have really gained confidence throughout that Tri-Series. Virtually everyone’s put in a performance throughout that. Now collectively we just need to do that together.
“It seems a pretty free-spirited team and an exciting team. I don’t think anyone’s too worried that we’re not getting talked up because things don’t always go as expected in World Cups and hopefully we’ll exceed those expectations.”