ment, you thought he was, dont blame him. Blam

Stuart Broad has warned that Englands rejigged seam attack will have to adapt quickly to what promises to be another slow and unforgiving Lords surface, as he prepares once again to lead the line in the first Test against Pakistan in the absence of his long-term new-ball partner, James Anderson.Anderson was omitted from Englands 12-man squad due to a shoulder injury, meaning that Broad, with 94 caps to date, will have played more than twice as many Tests as the rest of Englands seam attack combined when the series gets underway on Thursday. Steven Finn (32 Tests) and Chris Woakes (eight) look set to be joined in the starting XI by one of two debutants, Jake Ball or Toby Roland-Jones, with Moeen Alis offspin completing a five-man attack.However, the Lords Test will be only the ninth time in his career that Broad has taken the field without his senior partner at the other end. And while he has relished that responsibility in the recent past, not least at Trent Bridge in last summers Ashes when he claimed a career-best 8 for 15 on the opening morning of the fourth Test, Broad knows that the Lords surface is unlikely to offer anything approaching the same sort of assistance to Englands quicks.That, in turn, spells danger for an England team who were thrashed by 405 runs during last summers Lords Test against Australia, and also succumbed 2-0 to Pakistan on the flat decks of the UAE last winter. With a bowling attack led by the left-arm pace duo of Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz, and complemented by the attacking legspin of Yasir Shah, the first Test is arguably Pakistans best opportunity to land a telling blow in a four-Test series that their captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, last week identified as their biggest challenge.Broad and England were given an early indication of what might be in store on the Lords surface when they were held to a draw - albeit rain-affected - during the third Test of the Sri Lanka series last month, having bundled their rivals out for scores of 91, 119 and 101 in their first three innings of the series at Headingley and Chester-le-Street.Our biggest challenge is going to be this wicket, Broad said during an Investec event at Lords. The Test match against Sri Lanka was a bit of a bore draw so it will be interesting to see what they produce. The biggest test for the bowling unit will be trying to do what no other team has done this year, which is to win a game and take 20 wickets at Lords. It was a challenge when we had Jimmy in the side four weeks ago, so it will be an even bigger challenge this time.The Sri Lanka wicket [didnt offer] a regulation nick, he added. They got wickets with lbws and bowleds so it will be about adjusting as quickly as possible. If we play on a wicket at Lords similar to the one against Australia that will be right up Pakistans street. Wahab and Yasir Shah is a similar sort of attack. If we do come across a wicket like that, which is always a lottery at Lords, we have got to be better at adapting.To that end, Broad recognises the importance of his role, both as a leader by example, but also as the de facto captain of an inexperienced bowling line-up. One of the secrets of his successful partnership with Anderson has been the ease of communication between the pair, and he knows he may need to be available to lend an ear to his team-mates if the going gets tough during the coming days.Our success comes from communication so the key will be get a bond between the bowling unit and sharing a lot of information, he said. We always talk, not as an ego thing, but to try to get one over the opening batsman. A series can be a long time, so lets try and stamp our authority quickly on them.Bowlers spend more time with each other. Batsmen are at the other end in the nets, so you feel like you have to get to know the bowlers to help the captain out. You become a bit of a go-between as a senior bowler. A bowler might be really struggling with the wind, or the foot-holes, but does not want to tell the England captain he is struggling, so you can easily pass a little message on quietly.We will be talking what seam is working. Is it a wobble seam? Should we hold it up dead straight? Like Headingley, can we push it fuller, or do we need to drag our lengths? With Jimmys experience, that happens within three or four overs, so I would expect the bowlers to be talking all the time in the first hour, just trying to figure out what is happening. It will be our job to get as much out of the wicket as possible.Where those lines of communication are concerned, England should be well served by the quicks at their disposal, seeing as Broad and Jake Ball have an existing relationship from their time at Nottinghamshire, while both Finn and Roland-Jones play most of their cricket for Middlesex at Lords and so are well used to the vagaries of the slope. Nevertheless, Broad suggested that the selectors had missed a trick by failing to include Anderson in a 13-man squad, both to give him the chance to play if deemed fully fit, and also to provide the sort of dressing-room know-how that comes from 116 Tests and 454 wickets.I would have been tempted, he said. because at least you have got him around working with the bowlers, and pushing his fitness to play on Thursday. I saw him all last week and he seemed okay, to be honest. He was pretty certain he would be in the squad and I am sure there must have been a huge temptation to have him in the 13, so Jake and Toby could learn something from him leading in to the match. He was with us last year in the Ashes when he was injured, and he was with us in Durban [for the first Test against South Africa in December].And despite all his own experience, Broad indicated he too would have benefited from the familiarity of Andersons presence in the squad, as he recalled the events surrounding that crazy first day at in Nottingham last summer, when Andersons side strain forced him to miss a Test match for the first time in four years.Yes, I was nervous at Trent Bridge, he said. It was the first time I had bowled the first over in a Test match ever, at 29 years old. That is still different. Especially when, all week, Trevor [Bayliss] had been saying that the opening bowler or batsman sets the tone and that will win us the Test match. That added pressure can either melt you a little bit or get you excited to push you through. Trent Bridge went well, Durban went well, l so hopefully itll be similar here.Despite the intensity of the preparations that Pakistans cricketers have put themselves through since arriving in England, Broad warned that even the best-laid plans sometimes go awry - as England discovered during their whitewashing in the 2013-14 Ashes. And, bearing in mind the reception that he and his fellow players received from Mitchell Johnson et al on that trip, he added that relentless pressure would be the key to success for the bowling attack, especially early in each batsmans innings.Misbah hit the nail on the head, Broad said. When Asians come to England, there are always question marks over their batting, which puts question marks on our bowling unit because those first ten balls at every batter are vital.We could go bang, bang and put them under pressure straightaway. But if you bowl long-hop, half-volley, long-hop, they will feel settled and relaxed. I will make a point on Tuesday that we build on what we did in South Africa when AB [de Villiers] or a key batsman came to the crease. You swarm them with four or five slips. If they make one mistake, there is a chance of getting them out.If we get Younis [Khan] or Misbah for 0 or 10, that can change a Test match, so I would expect us to swarm key batsmen early just to try and get any mistake out of them.Wed be prepared to sacrifice a couple of fours to, maybe, get that nick to fourth slip but, again, if the wicket is not carrying to fourth slip it is not going to work.Investec is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. For more on Investec private banking, visit investec.co.uk/bankingAdidas Nmd Xr1 Norge . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Adidas Gazelle Tilbud . The International Olympic Committee released the official list of bid cities on Friday after the deadline for applications had passed. The candidates -- all previously announced in their own countries -- are: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing; Krakow, Poland; Lviv, Ukraine; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm. http://www.nmdnorgesalg.com/nmd-r1-sko-norge.html . The Barrie Colts defenceman, who impressed many with his play for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, is the top-ranked skater in the February rankings. He has 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 45 games with the Colts this season. Adidas Neo Lite Racer Norge . -- Matt Kuchar and Harris English ran away with the Franklin Templeton Shootout, shooting a 14-under 58 on Sunday in the final-round scramble to break the tournament course record. Nmd Sko Udsalg . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem.TORONTO - Brett Lawrie pounded fist into glove after his third inning throwing error allowed the eventual winning run to score in Saturdays 4-3 Blue Jays loss to Tampa Bay, a man clearly frustrated about a defensive miscue that cost his club an inning-ending double play. Perhaps he was too caught up in the moment to hear the smattering of boos coming from a crowd of more than 40,000 fans at Rogers Centre. These are fans who, like Lawrie and the rest of his teammates, are disappointed by the Jays 45-51 record. They are tired of the miscues, fed up with the spotty hitting and the inconsistent pitching and the shoddy defence. Enough is enough and someone must hear about it. On Saturday, it was Lawrie. Fair game. Fans pay good money to attend and clearly many bought ticket packages months ago figuring theyd be watching a Jays-Rays series with much on the line – for both teams. Instead, the home club is teetering on the abyss while the low-budget folks from Tampa Bay soar into the second half. Yes, Lawries antics can be tiresome. The death stare he shot Adam Lind and Luis Rivera on May 26, his helmet-tossing episode after being rung up a year earlier. Other instances, too. It adds up. But maybe, just maybe, it is worth examining this 23-year-olds season. A dash of context mixed with sober perspective never hurt anyone. Oh, and lets pause for a moment of emphasis on the age: 23. Back to the beginning. Lawrie was injured on March 5. He strained his oblique playing for Team Canada in a World Baseball Classic tune-up game against the Cincinnati Reds. His side bothered him when he swung and felt even worse as he moved side-to-side at third base. He made the decision, the mature decision, based on his experience with a similar injury last season to remove himself from the game. Its a good thing he did. Had Lawrie tried to battle through the pain, what became a five-week absence likely would have been more. Following a setback, which delayed his return, Lawrie began a rehabilitation assignment roughly around the same time the Blue Jays departed on the first road trip of the season – to Detroit and Kansas City. Except the third baseman wasnt playing third base. He was playing second base. He did so for two games at Single-A Dunedin. Its a position Lawrie hadnt played since 2010, when he appeared in 131 games there for Milwaukees Double-A affiliate in Huntsville. Okay, fine, the Blue Jays were considering a position switch. No problem, right? Except Jose Reyes rolled his ankle on April 12 against the Royals and Munenori Kawasaki was called up and there appeared to be – correction, there was – a huge void on the left side of the Jays infield. So Lawrie gets recalled in time to play the White Sox on April 16. Its far sooner than planned andd both general manager Alex Anthopoulos and manager John Gibbons have admitted as much.dddddddddddd. Lawrie, robbed of proper spring training by his own injury and then robbed by Reyes injury of appropriate minor-league rehab time, struggled badly at the plate. When he twisted his ankle, not a dissimilar injury to Reyes, on May 27, Lawries slash line was .209/.268/.374. Lawrie hurt his ankle sliding into second base. Initially, he attempted to stay in that game against the Braves, removing himself pitches later when his scamper to third on a ground ball quickly became a hobbling limp. Post-game, he addressed the media and speculated he could play the next day. There was no reason to disbelieve Lawrie. He was walking normally. Then, as he slept, the ankle swelled. A day turned into days turned into weeks. There wasnt so much a setback as there was a stalling of the healing process. Lawrie was placed in a walking boot. Five more weeks, this time all in-season, down the tubes. Eventually, in late June, another minor-league rehabilitation assignment began. This time, Lawrie wouldnt be rushed. They said hed get his at-bats and he did. Hed get his reps at third base. Hed return comfortable, his timing down, ready to contribute in the second half. But after seven of those minor-league games, featuring Single-A stops in Dunedin and Lansing and a three-night Double-A appearance with New Hampshire, Lawrie went to play with the Triple-A Bisons. He was informed, upon his arrival in Buffalo, that he would not be playing third base. Instead, he would be playing second. Three games later, Lawrie was activated from the disabled list and was starting for the Blue Jays – at second base – in a key divisional game in Baltimore. Lawrie says he "just needs his reps" at second base. Hes correct and hes getting them, now, at the major league level and at a major league pace. He hasnt forgotten how to play the position. He does, however, need time to remind himself how. Oh, and while hes doing that, hes also working on his offensive approach, which is an ongoing process as hitting coach Chad Mottola tries to slow down all the moving parts to his swing. All of this to say Lawrie isnt perfect. If, for a moment, you thought he was, dont blame him. Blame the marketing campaign. Is there room for improvement in his game? Yes. Does Lawrie have some maturing to do? Yes. Is he, on occasion, too intense for his own good? Maybe, but at least he doesnt need to be kicked in the rear to get himself amped up. Can his shortcomings be corrected or at least improved upon? Yes. Do you give up on a player with Lawries type of athletic gifts? No. Can you boo him? Yes. Should you boo him? Up to you. But if you do, do so with perspective. After all, Lawries only 23. ' ' '