Stuart Broad has “genuine belief” that England can win their next two World Cup games to reach the quarter-finals.
Three defeats in four Pool A outings, the last coming versus Sri Lanka on Sunday, means Eoin Morgan’s side must beat Bangladesh on Monday and Afghanistan four days later to make the last eight.
Like fellow experienced paceman James Anderson, Broad has not yet fired in this World Cup. Both have taken just two wickets in four appearances.
But Broad, playing in his third World Cup, knows form can quickly change for himself, Anderson and England.
Speaking exclusively to ecb.co.uk in Adelaide, which will host the Tigers clash, he said:“I’ve obviously torn in with the ball and tried so hard to pick up wickets.
“So far it’s not quite happened for me or Jimmy just yet. We’re experienced enough to know that times change in cricket.
“It is a funny old game. You keep working hard and you keep doing your basics, and things do change for you. And, touch wood, it might change at a good time for us; win two games and we’re in a quarter-final.
“The feeling in the group’s fantastic. I know it’s quite easy when you’re away from the group or back in England to just to look at us losing games, it can all feel very doom and gloom.
“The guys are really tight. We know each other’s strengths, we know where we want to move forward, we know we want to make sure our attitude is at the forefront, taking positive steps forward. I’ve got a genuine belief we can win the next two games, for sure.”
So far Broad has been preparing for fixtures by doing his homework on the batsmen he is about to bowl at.
Yet, with 175 wickets in his 117 one-day internationals, Broad knows he must not ignore his own skills, something he says applies to his team-mates too.
“I personally will look at my strengths,” he revealed.
“I’ve spent a bit of time this trip looking at the opposition, I must admit, where opposition batsmen are hitting the ball, whereas actually I know I need to look at my strengths, where am I going to bowl, use my bouncer, push my length a bit fuller looking for swing.
“A lot of the wickets at this World Cup have been bowled, early doors. So I think that’s what I’m going to do, certainly mention that to the team about looking within ourselves. Where are we good, what makes us good, what makes us best in our country to be picked for England at a World Cup? Lets go and produce it.”
One player full of confidence is Joe Rootwho, aged 24, became England’s youngest World Cup centurion with 121 versus Sri Lanka.
Broad thinks it was even better than Root’s 107 against West Indies last year, which helped to complete England’s 2-1 one-day series win.
“Rooty’s hundred was one of the best I’ve seen from an English batsman,” he added. “It’s easy to cover over those sort of things when you lose a game. That was up there with his Antigua knock last February, for sure.
“So we’ve got guys just starting to gain a little bit. Five games to win a World Cup, let's do it.”