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By Lawrence Booth
Last updated at 9:21 AM on 18th February 2011

England take on Pakistan today in a warm-up game that feels more like a grudge  match following the acrimonious events of 2010.

The sides have been staying in the same Dhaka hotel during the build-up to the  World Cup, which starts here tomorrow with Bangladesh against India following  last night's colourful opening ceremony, but Stuart Broad admitted the two  teams – who have not met since the summer – have given each other a wide berth.

Come here and say that: Wahab Riaz clashed with Jonathan Trott last year

'We’ve seen them but not spoken to them,’ said the England fast bowler. ‘And it’s not like we've been going out for dinner with them.’

The banned trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer are absent  following their part in the no-ball scandal that wrecked the Lord’s Test.

But  Wahab Riaz – the seamer who clashed with Jonathan Trott before the one-day  international at the same ground – is in Pakistan’s squad.

Broad, whose career-best 169 at Lord’s was all but forgotten amid the controversy, admitted: ‘Obviously it was a tough time for us last year: all  England players will say the same.

'We enjoyed the cricket, but the  off-the-field incidents did damage our wonderful summer of cricket. But you've  got to move on and the World Cup campaign is our sole focus.’

England made an unconvincing start to their tour on Wednesday when they  squeezed out minnows Canada by 16 runs in their opening warm-up match Fatullah,  but Broad’s haul of five for 39 in his first game since tearing stomach muscles  in Adelaide in December was a rare ray of light.

‘It was great to get back on the pitch,’ he said. ‘I was a bit nervous before  the start, but I feel very fresh having not played for a long time and very fit  after all the gym work.’

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