‘Fit and fresh’ Stuart Broad ready for England rotation game as Ashes loom

Stuart Broad might have reacted angrily to being left out of the first Test of the last Ashes series but he has promised to be the model of equanimity if he is forced to relive the experience at Edgbaston next week, saying: “It’s not about me, it’s about the collective.”

Broad is competing with Jimmy Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, Matt Potts and Josh Tongue for no more than four places in the team to start the series in Birmingham, but he says none of them will react badly to being omitted.

“I don’t think, whoever misses out at Edgbaston, it’s going to be a ‘dropped’ scenario,” Broad said. “It’s very much that you’re not playing that game but you’re going to be ready for Lord’s, or Headingley, whatever.”

Broad admitted that when he learned he would not be in the team in Brisbane 18 months ago he was “raging”. But as the 36-year-old approaches this year’s series he says he has no worries about being left out: “I love playing against Australia, whether that’s the first Test, the fifth Test, the third, I’m happy to try and strike whenever I get the chance.”

Broad, however, feels that the anticipated rotation of bowlers may not always be necessary. “I’ve got a pretty good record of fronting up and playing back-to-back games and being ready when needed,” he said. “My mindset is I’m fully in for the next six and a half weeks. Whatever’s needed, I’ll try my best to deliver. I fully appreciate that it’s hard and tiring, Test match cricket, but you can’t pre-plan.”

It may be that, with Ben Stokes still working his way back from knee injury, England’s four specialist bowlers will have to bear a particularly heavy workload this year, but this too is not a concern. “It’s harder without a doubt, but as a bowler