Change of Pace - Broad

[mintykip]

When watching Stuart Broad bowl in the 2009 ashes series at the time, and also looking back at highlights now it is evident to see he bowled consistently in the high 130's (km/h) up to the mid 140's.
While in other series and ashes series following this (limited role in 2010/11, 2013, and now this series) it is is clear to see he now averages around the low to mid 130's pace wise.

I am just interested in why his pace is down, and has anybody else noticed this?
Is it a deliberate conscious effort to sacrifice pace to focus on control? As the drop in pace does not seem to have affected his quality and potency (as evident in yesterdays performance).

The same could also be said for Anderson, looking back on highlights he was also into the 140's consistently, and the drop in pace has certainly not negated him as a threat.

 

[hendrix]

It happens from time to time. For whatever reason, at some different grounds bowlers are faster.

From what I saw yesterday, it looked like it was one of those pitches that the feet really slide on - you can't completely brace your front foot so you lose a yard of pace.

Sometimes it's just rhythm as well. Boult gets into the 140s when he's on perfect rhythm but usually operates 130s. It happens.

 

[mintykip]

Yeah I suppose. It's just the thing that interested me was that his pace was down as early as the 10/11 ashes series and has been quite consistently since then so I thought it must have been a conscious effort to sacrifice pace for consistency or something along those lines. Or just maybe '09 was the exception and this is his natural operating pace.

 

[DaveS]

His bowling depends heavily on rhythm. He's also one of those guys that gets on a roll and cranks up his pace the angrier/more excited he gets.

Have you met those guys in club cricket that bowl 10-15mph quicker if they've been sledged when they were batting? I'd put Broad in that category.