Broad shoulders abuse to thrive

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STUART Broad revealed how a psychologist's report told him he would thrive on abuse as England's destroyer turned Michael Clarke into his Ashes batting bunny.

Broad may be Public Enemy No.1 down under, but the English quick is also Clarke's bully-boy after continuing his domination of Australia's best batsman in the first Test.

The Courier-Mail had urged Brisbane fans to snub the paceman as part of a "Broad-ban" and how Clarke must have wished his rival was barred from the Gabba precinct.

The Australian skipper managed a mere single before Broad struck again - the sixth time in his last eight Test innings Clarke has fallen to his British bogeyman.

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The paceman (5-65) finished with bragging rights as Australia recovered to 8-273 and he later attended the press conference clutching a copy of the newspaper that had pilloried him.

Mind-games clearly don't faze Broad. England's team shrink subjected the entire squad to a pre-tour psychological assessment and it found three players would relish sledging in Australia.

"We do all these tests about what kind of personality we are," said Broad, who was booed before his first delivery of the morning.

"The psychologist said there are three guys in this side who would thrive on getting abuse and they are 'KP' (Kevin Pietersen), myself and Matty Prior, so they picked the good men together."

Of the anti-Broad campaign, he said: "A couple of my mates had mentioned it, but I just saw this (The Courier-Mail) outside and it made me smile.

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"It's good fun. At the end of the day, you are focusing on your routines, not what the crowd is doing.

"But there is something about Ashes cricket that brings out my best ... there is a bit more niggle there."

The 27-year-old removed the top-three of Chris Rogers (1), David Warner (49) and Shane Watson (22), but it was his dismissal of Clarke that franked his big day out.

Like a cricketing ghost, Broad incessantly haunts Clarke. At 2-73, the skipper faced a typical rescue mission before Broad had him spooked, producing a rearing short-ball which Clarke fatally fended to Ian Bell at short leg.

"We know what a big player he is so you always have specific plans for their best players," he said.

"For the plan to work with Michael gave us a big lift."

Stuart Broad appeals unsucessfully to remove David Warner, one of his few disappointments on Thursday. Source: Getty Images

The firebrand dismissed Clarke five times during the recent series in England. Broad now has his scalp a record eight times at Test level, but denied having the wood on Australia's top dog.

"I wouldn't say I have a hold over him," he said.

"He can be destructive. There will be a time in the series when it goes well for him so we've got to enjoy the time he walks back for less than 10."

Few bowlers can consistently bamboozle Clarke but Broad, with his energy, competitive fire and deceptive short-ball, clearly has the man nicknamed 'Pup' on a leash.

Stuart Broad clean bowls Mitchell Johnson with a ball that swung late as the batsman attempted to drive. Source: Getty Images

And the Poms have every reason to delight in Broad's muzzling of Australia's top dog.

For decades, Aussie fans have rejoiced at the mention of Daryll Cullinan, the classy batsman who turned into a South African version of Phil Tufnell whenever he faced spin-king Shane Warne.

But for all the jibes not even Warne dominated Cullinan like Broad has Clarke. Warne dismissed Cullinan four times in the Test arena, which makes Broad's spell over Clarke twice as magical.

Broad has his critics and has been derided as a blond-haired, baby-faced pretty boy. But he possesses the heart of a lion, bowling unnerving lines yesterday to claim his 11th five-wicket Test haul. He finished the day with 222 Test victims and is set to overtake countrymen Steve Harmison (226), Andrew Flintoff (226), Darren Gough (229) and Andy Caddick (234) this summer.

No stranger to being laughed at, Broad has delivered the punchline. The joke is on Australia ... and Michael Clarke.

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