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Broad targets England ODI return for 2019 World Cup

The England pacer last represented England in ODIs back in February against South Africa.

London: Fast bowler Stuart Broad has fallen out of contention for a regular starting place in England's one-day international side but the Test stalwart is "desperate" to represent his country at the 2019 World Cup on home soil.

Broad, who climbed to the top of the Test bowlers rankings earlier this year, was part of the England side that made an embarrassing group stage exit at the 2015 World Cup and has barely featured since.

England have prospered in white-ball cricket after making sweeping changes to their tactics and personnel in the wake of the disastrous showing in Australia and New Zealand, and Broad has only featured in two matches during that rebuilding period.

England and Wales are hosting the 2017 Champions Trophy and the World Cup two year later, and the 30-year-old Broad is determined to do everything necessary to fight his way back into the side.

"I'm desperate, as I think every England cricketer would be, to play at the 2019 World Cup in England," Broad, who has taken 178 wickets in 121 ODIs, told Sky Sports. "It is a long way away but it will creep up.

"The tricky part of playing a lot of Test cricket, I've played 48 on the bounce now, is you don't actually get a lot of time to play white-ball cricket so it's quite hard to keep up with the standard in a game that moves forward so quickly."

Since last appearing in those two ODIs in South Africa in February, Broad failed to feature in England's home one-day series wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan and was also overlooked for the three matches in Bangladesh, beginning on Friday.

"I'm trying to find more time to play white-ball cricket," Broad added. "I've got a bit of a proven track record with the white ball, my stats are pretty good in the 50-over stuff, I just need to play a bit more of it."

( Source : reuters )
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