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[Johnny]

This is on another popular cricket forum  but thought it was worth starting a similar topic on here.

What are people's thoughts on Stuart Broad to date? Although he's not set the world on fire with his bowling, I think he's put in steady performances so far, and has showed more control then the likes of Plunkett and Mahmood. His runs at 8 have been a massive bonus - I don't really see him making the step up to the status of true test all rounder, but I reckon he could give Daniel Vettori a run for the money in the world's best number 8 stakes.

Still developing as a player, and I'm sure he's not the finished article, but I think he's holding his own in the test arena, even if he's not quite threatening the world rankings at the moment.

[e4sby]

I rate this fella very highly, his batting and bowling will only get better and we seem to forget how young he is.

Will make the number 8 spot his own, in the future he could move upto number 7 only time will tell. 

Hoggy and Harmy will struggle to fight their way back into the team the way our bowlers have performed lately.  Will be interesting to see if they perform as well when wickets are drier and the swing not being as pronounced, South Africa will be a massive test for our pace attack

[Sameer]

Broad maybe the guy to be dropped if Flintoff, Harmy or Hoggard comeback in.

I myself, think Broad is good. should stay where he is in batting lineup. No need to change things yet.. wait till he faces SA bowling, that will be a better test than NZ in all honesty.

Bowling wise, I think he should stay for the 1st test and see how he goes.. I think all 3 of these bowlers all learn and motivate eachother

[stevie]

Have been plaeasantly suprised with the control he has shown at test level. He ghas bowled very wisely but he sometimes gets caught up in battles lke with Oram where he kept on bowling shorter and shorter till it was over his head and what good are them type of balls going to do?  When he pitches it up his swing can be lethal and bowls at a decent pace. He is quite accurate and doesnt spray many around.

Battingwise he is still developing but has a very good technique and doesn't look like he gets intimadated easily and plays some very good shots,
Think it is to early to say he should bat seven but he is a good number 8 and he should stay there for a while.

[raymond]

He looks like he has the one of the best techniqhues of all the batsman, except for Vaughan and Belly

[stevie]

At the moment he could probably get in the side as a pure batsmen. His bowling is good with good control but not penatrive enough with pace or swinging it much.

[Tikolo]

I reckon he should either bat at 6-7, hes a much better batsmen then Tim Ambrose

[JCWE]

he could bat higher then flintoff and ambrose. he actually loks like a batsman and unlike flintoff he has technique

[cyprusplayer14]

I dnt think he should be in the side as a batsmen, yes his batting is realy quite gd, great technique and he scores runs but at the end of the day he is a bowler, he got into the side as a bowler and should be given more time to settle.
As for when to bat, hes much better than Tim Ambrose i agree and should be higher than him but if the selectors finally bring in Foster then he should keep his number 8, where, as already mentioned he could rival DV for the best in the world

[stevie]

I think Broad is developin into a more than usefull number 8, which is where he should stay imo as he is in the side as a bowler and if he starts feeling like he is under pressure if he doesn't score runs that is not a good situation for him or the team.