Important to play good cricket: Stuart Broad

Dubai : England fast bowler Stuart Broad looks ahead to the upcoming ODI series against Pakistan as his side builds towards its ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 campaign on this week?s ICC Cricket World audio show.

24-year old Broad, who has been one of the stars of England?s successful run of form with the white ball, is hopeful his side can repeat its success at the ICC World Twenty20 2010 in the 50-over form of the game.

?I think we?re in a really good place as the England cricket team at the moment. We?ve played successful Twenty20 cricket in the past two games and also in the World Twenty20,? says Broad.

?It is important for us to keep the standards high, which we have set this summer, and I think the Twenty20 games over the last couple of days have shown a good insight into the form we have been showing in the white ball game and it is important that we continue that into the 50-over stuff starting on Friday.?

Broad believes that the five-match series against Pakistan, which begins in Durham on Friday, will form an important part of his side?s preparations ahead of its ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 campaign.

?We?ve got about 13 or 14 games before the ICC (Cricket) World Cup and we know what an important tournament that is. We know it is tough playing cricket in India as it is different conditions to what we are used to as an England team but it is still good practice winning and working on power plays and that sort of stuff.

?We?re a confident side and it is certainly up to us to transfer that form in the two Twenty20s into this one-day series and into Australia and the World Cup as we know how key momentum is in one-day cricket.?

The experience of appearing in an ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 on the sub-continent is one that appeals to the combative Broad and he believes that England has the strategy and players to be successful.

?We all know as international cricketers what an exciting place the sub-continent is to play cricket. The passion in the stands is great to see and the crowds are always really excitable and it is a fantastic experience to play in,? he says.

Also on this week?s show, statistician Benedict Bermange talks about the history of ODI cricket during the past 40 years and looks at how the game has evolved. He also reveals that the 43,000th ODI wicket is expected to fall during the course of the ODI series between England and Pakistan ? 42,956 wickets have fallen from 1,620,218 deliveries to date.