Broad vows to keep emotions in check

Stuart Broad, the England allrounder, has said he will keep his emotions under control on the tour of Australia, in what is expected to be a heated atmosphere in front of big crowds during the Ashes. Broad has had his share of troubles on the field with regard to discipline. Most recently, in August against Pakistan, he was fined by the match referee for hurling the ball at the batsman Zulqarnain Haider out of frustration.

"I know the lines that are there and not to cross them," Broad told BBC Radio 5 Live. "I did cross that once this summer and got punished for it, but I've learnt from my mistakes and hopefully this winter all will go to plan."

Broad, who will be on his first Test tour of Australia, sought inspiration from his father's exploits - Chris Broad scored three centuries - in 1986-87 when England last won an Ashes series in Australia. He's picked up 97 wickets in 32 Tests so far and said he'll remain aggressive while ensuring he stays calm. "I'm a passionate player when I pull that England shirt on; it's a very special and proud moment for you," he said.

"There's a fine line to it. I don't want to lose any of that passion for the game; as a bowler I need to have that real desire to get the batsman out and be in their face and be aggressive.

"You have got to try to make the batsman feel a bit uncomfortable to get him out.

"It's just important to try to keep a cool head and stay logical rather than emotional. But then again you have to keep that balance between not becoming too logical because you need to have that passion in order to play to 100% in the game."

The key to England's success in Australia, Broad said, was for the batsmen to score big with a strong bowling line-up to back them. "Runs on the board is the key," he said. "We've got a bowling attack with a lovely balance to it - two tall bowlers [Broad and Steven Finn], a fantastic spinner [Graeme Swann] and James Anderson who can swing the ball.

"We all know that scoreboard pressure creates wickets. So if we go and get 400 in the first innings - which is what we target every time - it puts huge pressure on the Australians. Big first-innings totals are something we need to produce."

A worry for England over the past few months has been the form of Kevin Pietersen, who averaged 27.75 in the four Tests against Pakistan. Pietersen has not scored a Test century since March 2009 and was dropped for the ODI series against Pakistan. He then went to South Africa to play some first-class cricket in preparation for the Ashes, but has, so far, failed to impress. "The Ashes is set up perfectly for him to fire back into form," Broad said. "He's a big-game player and I have no doubt that he'll step up and perform for us in Australia."