Aggressive outlook for duo

England’s latest new-ball pairing are heading to South Africa to cause damage rather than limit it in the ICC World Twenty20.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad formed a fine partnership during the 4-3 NatWest Series victory over India and shared 23 wickets.

They have thrived on attacking the batsmen rather than containing, a policy which proved integral in setting up the Lord’s win yesterday and one they believe will aid England’s bid to claim their first silverware in an international tournament.

Bowling coach Allan Donald has worked on changing the mindset of England’s frontline pacemen and Broad, who has tasted 20-over success with Leicestershire, said: “It is an aggressive focus we have in our minds, we really concentrate on hitting our lengths and lines every time very aggressively.

“International wickets are flat and are a great challenge for bowlers - but also if you get the ball in the right areas you can cause damage and that is what we are thinking of all the time when we’re bowling.

“We are not going there to be hit for six and make the batsmen look good, we will try to disrupt them and get wickets because that is the easiest way of slowing the run rate down.

“You bat in partnerships and you really do bowl in partnerships. We have had occasions in this past series when I have been hit for an expensive over but Jim has followed up with a maiden - and vice versa - so that is crucial.

“Doing that you never let the other side get away from you.

“In one-day cricket I have certainly thought in the past 'if I can just get through my 10 overs for 40 lovely, it doesn’t matter about wickets if I can keep the runs down.' But if you bowl 10 overs and take 2-40 it is a hell of a lot better.”

Anderson was not picked in the original 15-man squad which arrives in Johannesburg tomorrow but was first man in when Ravi Bopara was ruled out with a fractured thumb, despite not being a like-for-like replacement.

At 25 he is at last fulfilling the potential he showed in 2002-03, his first international winter, while Broad has also adapted to the challenge of bowling to the world’s best batsmen.

“It is amazing what confidence can do,” Broad said. “They’re world-class batters that India have but as a 21-year-old it is a great challenge and that is what you play cricket for.

“You are there to challenge yourself and there is no better incentive than - every time you get the ball in your hand - getting Sachin Tendulkar or Rahul Dravid out.

“It has been an amazing experience playing in this series and something I feel very privileged to have been involved with.”

Broad provided an emphatic response to being left out of the Lord’s Test, and subsequently entire series, against India when it had been expected he would make his debut.

He went away to win a match for Leicestershire against Derbyshire with a resounding all-round display and recently showed his unflappable nature in the stunning three-wicket win at Old Trafford, where he claimed the man-of-the-match prize.

“That was one of the worst feelings in the world, driving away from a Test ground after hoping to make your debut,” Broad said. “Since that day I have been bowling well, batting nicely and I am full of confidence.”

That, according to England coach, sums up the general mood of a squad bolstered by some Twenty20 specialists.

“It would be crazy to go into any tournament not believing you can win,” insisted Moores. “We have a lot of players who have played a lot of Twenty20 cricket and been successful domestically.

“We have had a different build-up to everyone else but hopefully these seven pressurised games between evenly-matched sides will hold the squad’s competitive edge.”