Stuart Broad eager to lay Ashes marker

Stuart Broad found it tough to watch his team-mates in the two Tests against Bangladesh, as he was put through a punishing fitness regime at the National Academy in Loughborough, and is now desperate to get back into the thick of the action to score some pre-Ashes points against Australia.

"After winning the World Twenty20 and starting the summer well it's important we bring our brand of strong, fearless cricket into the one-dayers," Broad told Cricinfo. "If we do that we won't go far wrong. We need to win these games, but we also need to stamp an authority on the one-day series so that Australia know we are a changed side and a powerful unit."

Broad hasn't played cricket since the World Twenty20 final on May 16 when England beat Australia by seven wickets having been sent for a condition programme- "It certainly wasn't rest," he said, which will please the ECB - to try and ensure he can withstand the rigours of the next nine months including the Australia tour followed by the World Cup. He will return to the international fold against Scotland, in Edinburgh, after a couple of Twenty20 outings for Nottinghamshire, who rarely see his services.

"It's quite hard when you're not in the side to watch because it makes you miss it even more and stabs you quite deep," he said. "But I saw the reasons why I wasn't playing and I'm looking forward to getting back for both for Nottinghamshire and for England.

"I've been pretty busy, in the gym every day so haven't had loads of time to watch the cricket but I've tried to see the highlights when possible. By the looks of things it's been two strong wins which has continued the momentum from the winter."

The Twenty20 success against Australia has ensured no delay to the pre-Ashes hype, but in recent times the 50-over record between the teams has been distinctly one-sided. England were thrashed 6-1 last September after they reclaimed the urn and were also hammered by nine wickets in the Champions Trophy semi-final a few weeks later.

"We are playing a very different brand of cricket to back then," insisted Broad. "We have been to South Africa and were the second team to win out there and won easily in Bangladesh. It all stemmed for a discussion in the Champions Trophy about our one-day cricket and how to turn it around. England have been pretty rubbish at it for more than 10 years and I think we have made really good progress and that must continue towards the World Cup."

Part of the reason Broad was exempted from the Tests against Bangladesh was because he is one of the England players who appears in all three formats and is being earmarked for a vital role as the team aim for the twin peaks of Ashes and World Cup success. It's a different story for Matt Prior who has now been left with only his Test birth having lost the Twenty20 and ODI wicketkeeping roles to Craig Kieswetter.

"I think it will give him a motivation," said Broad. "He wants his one-day spot back so I'm sure that will give him a huge drive to kick on and score runs for Sussex. His Test match spot is pretty safe, he's played fantastically for the last couple of years; he doesn't make many mistakes with the gloves and is a consistent run-scorer. I don't think his Test spot is under threat but he wants to play in all formats."

Despite being out of the fold for a couple of weeks Broad is assured of his place in all three England teams, but that doesn't mean there isn't more he can contribute to the side. After showing real talent with the bat his form has slipped since the end of the Ashes with a highest score of 25 in 14 innings, although he has only batted twice since the middle of January.

The batting potential of Broad and the likes of Tim Bresnan and Graeme Swann continues to raise the question of whether England should deploy a five-man attack, especially in the flatter conditions likely to be encountered in Australia, but Broad is a fan of the current balance.

"I've been working really hard, but it's hard to judge where you are at when you've batted so little," he said. "I've been working with Graham Gooch and think I'm progressing. But I think the balance of the side with six batsmen, Matt Prior at No. 7 and the four bowlers looks pretty strong with the runs myself and Graeme Swann can score. It's a big strength of this team."