Captain Broad back for New Zealand opener at Bangladesh World T20

Finally there is some good news for England, in terms of injuries, with captain Stuart Broad declaring himself fit for the first World Twenty20 match with New Zealand on March 22nd in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Broad (3/1 to be top England bowler at the tournament) recently suffered a recurrence of a tendonitis problem in his knee, and was forced to miss the final two Twenty20 games with the West Indies – they lost they series 2-1.

England face two more warm-up matches against the Windies on March 18th (6/5 to win) and India the day after but, following an injection, is unlikely to feature in the former.

Fast-medium bowler Broad said: “I might not play [against the West Indies] as I haven’t actually run on my knee since I had the injection but I’d say I will definitely play against India the next day.”

“The soreness has gone a little bit,” he added. “We had 12 hours in Dubai where I was able to get a gym session in and it seems to be progressing pretty well.

“If it was a Test match tour it might be more concerning. But with it only being four overs a game I am pretty confident I will be able to play a full part in this World Cup.”

That statement will be a relief for head coach Ashley Giles, after two of his key players Joe Root and Ben Stokes are ruled out of the competition completely with fractured hands.

Yorkshireman Root sustained his injury on the way to his heroic century against the West Indies in their ODI series decider victory. New Zealand-born Stokes, meanwhile, suffered his fracture in contrasting circumstances after punching a locker during the Twenty20 loss.

Broad did have kind words for the incredible talented Durham all-rounder: “Stokesy is a passionate guy and was disappointed. He stood up and apologised to the team.

“He was borderline in tears knowing he’d not just let himself down but his teammates down along with the chance to come to a World Cup. He was heartbroken and made his feelings very public to the guys. It will be a learning curve for him.”