AMID Stuart Broad’s bright spot for England in Sydney yesterday, there was a blunt reminder for the tourists of what has been a puzzling summer of selections.

Broad’s 5-101 on day two of the second Vodafone Ashes Test made him the first English player to take a five-wicket haul this summer, with the veteran right-armer dismissing Steve Smith, David Warner and centurion Usman Khawaja along the way.

He is now the second-leading wicket-taker of all Englishmen in the Ashes, and just three scalps away from joining Ian Botham on 128.
Yet he played just one of the first three Tests this summer.

Broad has removed Smith (9) and Warner (13) more times in Test cricket than any other bowler.

Inexplicably, however, he bowled only four more overs than Joe Root in the first three Tests as England surrendered their shot at the Ashes.
Instead, the tourists have rested and rotated their quicks, not playing Mark Wood in Adelaide when he seemed a logical selection.

Broad in turn sat out both Brisbane and Melbourne, wickets that had enough in them for quicks with wet weather around on the opening day

“Two pitches that have been by Australian standards extremely helpful to a bowler of his type,” former England captain Michael Atherton told the Seven Network.
“He is a medium-fast seam bowler really. He is not a swing bowler like (Jimmy) Anderson.

“You could probably come to Australia for a decade and not get a couple of pitches like the Gabba and MCG that offer you that amount of movement off the pitch.”
Broad agreed, but insisted he was not angry after missing both Brisbane and Melbourne.

“I’d readied myself mentally to not have an impact in all five Test matches,” the 35-year-old said.

“But I can’t say that I wasn’t disappointed not to play in Brisbane and Melbourne on two pitches that I felt like would have suited my bowling.
“The Gabba is one of my favourite places to bowl outside of Trent Bridge and the Wanderers in grounds that suit me.

“But when I arrived in Australia the shirt wasn’t mine. I got injured in the India series and the bowlers bowled really nicely (in my absence).”

Contemplating his Gabba omission, he added: “It doesn’t matter what bowlers you play if you get bowled out for 140. That might be a bit brutal but that’s the truth in Test cricket.” (AAP)