England seamer Stuart Broad stands his ground on walking saga to Michael Vaughan

England seamer Stuart Broad remains unrepentant about his controversial decision not to walk after he edged Australia spinner Ashton Agar to slip during last summer’s first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.

Broad was given not out by umpire Aleem Dar and went on to share a decisive partnership with Ian Bell which helped to give England a lead in the series which they went on to win 3-0.

In an interview with former England captain Michael Vaughan which will be broadcast on Radio5 Live this evening Broad insists that he did nothing different to most other professional cricketers. “My first comment on that whole incident is I could name you 18 or 19 players who played in an Ashes series who nicked it and didn’t walk,” Broad said. “We could be here all day if I named players from the past. I am trying to think of someone in the modern game who is consistently a walker.

“It’s a really interesting debate and something that got blown so out of proportion maybe because the Australians were frustrated they had wasted two referrals.

“It was an important moment in the game because, let’s be honest, if Belly and I hadn’t put on those runs, we wouldn’t have won the Test match so we would only have won 3-1 or something.”

Asked by Vaughan whether he would stand his ground again if the same situation were to happen in the first Test of this winter’s Ashes series, Broad said: “Yes. I won’t nick, I’ll hit it for four.”

Broad’s refusal to walk at Trent Bridge was criticised by Australia coach Darren Lehmann, who accused him of “blatant cheating” and urged Australia fans to make Broad cry this winter.

Broad revealed that Australia players had criticised Lehmann for his comments and that the coach had apologised to him for his comments.

“Ryan Harris came over to me and apologised. First of all he said from the players we have given him [Lehmann] a hard time and his comments were unacceptable,” Broad said. “Then he [Lehmann] came across and said: I meant it in jest. I said that in black and white it doesn’t look like jest to me. He said something along the lines of, listen to the interview, and I said, I have far better things to do with my time, and that was about it. We shared a nice beer and I said, 'See you in November’.”

Lehmann has since described England’s cricket as dour and questioned the technique of batsman Jonathan Trott but Broad said England would not be distracted by Australia’s attempts to play mind games.

“It’s like a big boxing match coming up a bit of trash talk. We are the side that don’t need to get involved in that, we are very happy where we are as a team, we have got some very skilful players,” Broad said.

“We don’t need to comment on Australia we don’t need to comment on them as a team. We are more than happy for them to comment on us.”

You can hear more in Stuart Broad Uncovered on BBC Radio 5 Live tonight at 9pm

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Ashes 2013: England's Stuart Broad accepts apology from Darren Lehmann

Lehmann was fined 20 per cent of his match fee for the fifth Ashes Test for describing, during a radio interview on the eve of the match, Broad's refusal to walk after an edge in the series opener as "blatant cheating".

But the England man said the matter was now closed. Broad wrote on Twitter: "Spoke to Darren Lehmann last night. He apologised for his comments, I accepted it. He said they were made in Jest for banter. Done."

England took a series besieged by talking points 3-0, with Lehmann at the heart of some of them.

Speaking to Australian radio station Triple M about Broad last week, Lehmann also called on the Australian public to "get stuck into him" when England tour this winter, adding that he hoped the seamer "cries and goes home".

England were not moved to report the incident to the International Cricket Council, but ICC chief executive Dave Richardson laid a charge himself and Lehmann pleaded guilty to "publicly criticising and making inappropriate comments" about Broad.

He accepted match referee Roshan Mahanama's proposal of a 20 per cent fine - about £2,000 - which meant no formal hearing was necessary.

Lehmann has insisted he would learn from the Broad situation. "I've had a chat with him already. We just move on," he said. "It was a good learning curve for a new coach, wasn't it? You know, [it was] a jovial setting but you've got to learn from that. I've got to learn and improve from that.

"The players aren't on their own in trying to improve. Coaches have got to improve so that's something I've got to get better at."

Despite the 3-0 defeat and the criticism received following the radio interview, Lehmann still has a passion for the role and is looking forward to the remainder of the tour in England.

"I'm still loving it, it's a great job," he added. "I'd like to win a Test match, but it's a fantastic job. I've seen all the players here, and the one-day and Twenty20 players are starting Thursday, so you get to deal with them and look at how we're going in that format of the game as well.

"By the end of the tour I'll have a really good mindset on all the players which will be quite comforting for me as coach. The players seem to be enjoying it which is good but we also realise we need to win some games."

Having replaced Mickey Arthur barely a fortnight before the opening Test at Trent Bridge, Lehmann believes he has not had time to stamp his own philosophy on the Australia team but expects that to change when England travel Down Under for the return series.

"It is really hard when you've just come into the set-up and the touring side's been picked," Lehmann added.

"When we're back home you'll probably see different things happen, but in terms of hearing a lot of things from outside and not being in that circle for many years, to come in and see how they're trying to improve all the time - that was impressive for me. Now it's a matter of improving that skill level to compete better than we have."

(Editing by Robert Dineen)

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England v Australia: Stuart Broad confident of prolonging Australia's 200-day losing streak

"It's up to us to continue that form and that responsibility falls on these players. It's an exciting responsibility."

Broad leads a much-changed team from the Test series with only Joe Root and Steven Finn having also played in the Ashes.

Hampshire batsman Michael Carberry could make an England return on his home ground for the first time since winning his only international cap in the Test arena against Bangladesh three years ago.

Carberry was the second-highest runscorer in this season's Friends Life t20 but faces a tough task to break up the opening partnership of Alex Hales and Michael Lumb.

And with the likes of Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara and Jo Buttler behind them Broad thinks England's batsmen can overpower the seventh-ranked Australians.

"It's an exciting line-up and there are some powerful players," he said.

"It's great as a captain to know you have that firepower in the side.

"We'll be better the more we play together and getting experience and dovetail. You watch some of the partnerships that Alex Hales and Lumb have had and the way Morgs strikes it and the way Jos has finished games; there's a real belief in that changing room that we can set a huge target or chase a huge target down.

"That's a good place to be as a Twenty20 side and it's great for English cricket to have so many exciting Twenty20 talents."

Australia Twenty20 captain George Bailey denied his side's barren run was playing on their minds, as they look to exact a measure of revenge for the Ashes.

"They say winning is a habit and I tend to agree with that," he said.

"Stating the obvious but you don't go out and try and win any more.

"There were none of those games since February where we thought we've won one recently so we won't try and win this one.

"I think that is more fodder for you guys than for us to deal with.

"It's pretty blatant what we want to do. We plan to win. It's the same regardless of what has happened in the past."

Edited by Thom Gibbs

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England v Australia: Stuart Broad confident of prolonging Australia's 200-day losing streak

"It's up to us to continue that form and that responsibility falls on these players. It's an exciting responsibility."

Broad leads a much-changed team from the Test series with only Joe Root and Steven Finn having also played in the Ashes.

Hampshire batsman Michael Carberry could make an England return on his home ground for the first time since winning his only international cap in the Test arena against Bangladesh three years ago.

Carberry was the second-highest runscorer in this season's Friends Life t20 but faces a tough task to break up the opening partnership of Alex Hales and Michael Lumb.

And with the likes of Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara and Jo Buttler behind them Broad thinks England's batsmen can overpower the seventh-ranked Australians.

"It's an exciting line-up and there are some powerful players," he said.

"It's great as a captain to know you have that firepower in the side.

"We'll be better the more we play together and getting experience and dovetail. You watch some of the partnerships that Alex Hales and Lumb have had and the way Morgs strikes it and the way Jos has finished games; there's a real belief in that changing room that we can set a huge target or chase a huge target down.

"That's a good place to be as a Twenty20 side and it's great for English cricket to have so many exciting Twenty20 talents."

Australia Twenty20 captain George Bailey denied his side's barren run was playing on their minds, as they look to exact a measure of revenge for the Ashes.

"They say winning is a habit and I tend to agree with that," he said.

"Stating the obvious but you don't go out and try and win any more.

"There were none of those games since February where we thought we've won one recently so we won't try and win this one.

"I think that is more fodder for you guys than for us to deal with.

"It's pretty blatant what we want to do. We plan to win. It's the same regardless of what has happened in the past."

Edited by Thom Gibbs

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Stuart Broad: Michael Vaughan 'disrespectful' to suggest refunds after England ODI squad named without stars

Vaughan said on Twitter that England fans should be offered a partial refund after it was announced one-day captain Alastair Cook, batsman Ian Bell, off-spinner Graeme Swann and seamers James Anderson and Broad himself would be absent from the five-match NatWest Series, starting on Sept 6.

However, captain Broad has defended the decision, believing certain players in the squad need a rest and that their replacements will be more than a match for Australia.

"I think they're (Vaughan's comments) disrespectful to the side that's going to go out on the field," Broad said.

"There's guys who have performed throughout the county season to get a chance at the international level.

"As an ODI team, we're building towards that 2015 World Cup (where) you need to have a big group of players going into that World Cup with experience of international caps.

"They wouldn't be in the squad if they're not good enough play and that ODI squad will be very focused on beating Australia.

"I know if I was paying to go and watch, I'd want to go and watch England beat Australia, that's it."

Vaughan thought it unfair of England to sell tickets to fans that would have been under the impression they would get to see most of the Ashes winners in action.

Kevin Pietersen, Joe Root, Jonathan Trott and Steven Finn were the only players selected in the ODI squad that played some part in the Ashes.

Vaughan tweeted on Tuesday: "I would have only rested Captain Cook.. Plenty of time to rest from Sept 16th - Nov 21st!!!? Can't sell tickets then rest 5 star names!!!!

"No problems resting players but I think Supporters who have paid good money to watch the best should get a small refund..."

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