Broad's batting slide continues

Four-and-a-half years after Stuart Broad scored a brilliant 169 in a Test against Pakistan, his batting has deteriorated to such a low ebb that one English scribe has suggested the left-hander may be relegated to No.11 in England's batting order.

Broad didn't trouble the scorers on day two of the first Test against the West Indies in Antigua, dismissed for a three-ball duck when he backed away and poked a catch to Jermaine Blackwood at point off the bowling of Kemar Roach.

Broad has now gone 25 Test innings without a half-century, and the last time he posted 50 or more came during the first Ashes Test in 2013, when he was controversially given not out off the bowling of spinner Ashton Agar when he was on 37. Before that knock of 65, Broad had gone 23 innings without a fifty.

The 28-year-old, the sixth-highest wicket-taker in England history and eighth-ranked Test bowler in the world, was once a reliable source of runs at No.8 for England.

His Test batting average after his defiant century against Pakistan in 2010 was 28.10, but the days when he was viewed as an allrounder in the making are now nothing more than a distant memory.

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Broad celebrates his maiden Test century // Getty

Broad's decline with the bat has undoubtedly not been helped by an incident during a Test against India last year, when he suffered nasty facial injuries after a ball burst between the peak of his helmet and grille.

Broad said last month he has had nightmares about the incident, which left him with a broken nose and bad facial bruising.

Writing in The Times, journalist Chris Stocks said the mental scarring from the injury, more than the physical, has had a lingering effect on Broad and has added to his decline as a batsman.

"There is every chance that Stuart Broad will be batting at No 11 by the end of the series against West Indies. That is how badly his batting has deteriorated in recent months," was the opening line of Stocks's report from Antigua.

"The incident last summer when he was struck in the face by Varun Aaron, of India, at Old Trafford has accelerated a slide that has seen Broad not only accused of undue care and attention with willow in hand, but also cowardice."

Quick Single: Broad's nightmares after bouncer blow

While Broad's impressive batting record early in his Test career never quite translated to the one-day arena, his recent performances in ODI cricket are even more alarming than his latest Test scores; he's registered double figures just four times in his past 25 ODI innings, stretching back to September 2010.

His dismissal during England's heavy defeat to New Zealand at the recent World Cup had similarities to that in Antigua on Tuesday; he backed away to leg-stump and hit Tim Southee straight to Daniel Vettori at mid-off.

It drew harsh criticism from commentators Shane Warne and Mark Richardson, with the Australian labelling the dismissal "as soft as it gets" and "embarrassing".

Quick Single:Broad slammed after 'soft dismissal

It's a remarkable fall for a player who appeared to have the world at his feet when he rescued England with the bat in the now infamous Lord's Test against Pakistan in 2010.

After Mohammad Amir had destroyed England's top-order - he and two teammates would later be banned for spot-fixing during the match - Broad, batting at No.9, put on a 332-run partnership with Jonathan Trott to rescue his side from 7-102 in the first innings.

Broad was eventually dismissed for 169, his innings featuring 18 fours and - tellingly given his recent tendency to back away from his stumps - one hook shot for six off the bowling of Amir.

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Broad pulls during his century against Pakistan // Getty

Former England captain Michael Vaughan says while Broad has never had the perfect technique to handle short-pitched bowling, his ability to play the hook and pull strokes effectively in the past shows that his current struggles are mental. 

"Stuart has to get through this by himself. There is very little that the coaches can do for him. The battle is within," Vaughan wrote in The Telegraph.

"His batting technique has never been perfect but he has handled bouncers before without getting into this mess.

"(In Antigua) he walked out to take guard mimicking ducking and swaying out of the way of the ball rather than playing shadow strokes, as most players do when they go out to bat.

"It sends a message that he knows what is coming and that he is fearful of it.

"He is becoming too much of an easy wicket. He has talent, great hand-eye co-ordination and quick hands. He should be scoring consistent runs down the order and not giving opponents an easy wicket.

"It is the manner of his dismissals that is frustrating. He is better than just swinging at the ball. He is positive, but he can build an innings too."

At an event in Adelaide during the World Cup last month, Broad spoke openly about the blow he suffered against India and revealed he had been working with England's sports psychologist "to try to focus the mind on other things."

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Broad is struck by a delivery from India's Varun Aaron // Getty

While he said the incident had 'knocked his confidence big time', he was optimistic that he could return to his former glories with the willow in hand.

"I've had times when I've felt the ball just about to hit my face in the middle of the night. It has been quite tough," Broad said.

"It was all a bit strange. It's a weird thing to see the ball thinking you are about to be hit.

"I still have that picture in my mind and I can remember it clearly. It is a weird situation."

He added: "I'll be fine come the Test match stuff when I get back on the horse properly."

Until then, Stocks says, Broad doesn't deserve to bat ahead of incumbent No.11 Jimmy Anderson, who scored a career-best 81 against India last summer.

"As ever, there is a temptation to simplify the (Broad) issue here," Stocks wrote.

"Broad has “bottled it” or lost his “nerve” since the Aaron encounter. Both statements are harsh, although not totally inaccurate.

"(He) deserves to be bumped down.

"Broad may indeed come again as a batsman. Yet until then, he needs to earn the right to move back up the order."