If the base note to England's enduringly traumatic tour of Australia has been a sense of a public crumpling under pressure, a failure of basic mettle, then there is perhaps something a little paradoxical in Stuart Broad's – whisper it – increasingly cordial relations with the previously hostile Australian public.

From the risible hackery of the Brisbane Courier-Mail's anti-Broad campaign during the first Test, to standard-issue boos and jeers on every ground, Broad has met Australian opprobrium with an amused sense of tolerance, while continuing to bowl beautifully, taking 32 wickets at 26 across all formats on tour. With a rapid-fire three-match Twenty20 international series due to start at the Bellerive Oval on Wednesday Broad was even able to talk with some fondness after practice in Hobart of the oddly nuanced, peculiarly fond nature of his pantomime reception in Australia.

"It's actually a bit disappointing now – it's getting less and less," Broad said. "You have to really listen for them now. I mean, at Brisbane in the fourth Test I thought if it continued like that I wouldn't have any eardrums left. To be fair, it's been quite good fun; I've enjoyed it and enjoyed the banter with the crowd. It's not been frightful general abuse, I feel like I've embraced it OK, it's not really affected my performance particularly, I don't think. And there's not many people in the world who can say they've been called a "W" word by 40,000 people. So, I've got that one."

For England the Twenty20 series represents not just an opportunity to reclaim a little cricketing pride at the end of a wretched tour, but also a chance to clarify issues of personnel before the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh in March.

England's Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad believes there is a huge incentive to finish the difficult tour of Australia with a series win in the shortest format. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA

"There is a real hunger in this group to finish this tour well. Australia have had the better of us for three months and for the four guys who have been involved in all three squads it has been a really tough time. We have an opportunity in a strong team to leave this tour with a little bit of happiness. That's what we want to do."

"It would be huge. England cricket has been through a tough three months. There is a lot of hurt players because we have not done ourselves justice on the field. It is also key to remember how well this T20 side have played for a year or so. We've won some really good games and played some strong cricket."

"I'm really excited to captain this group of players because they are a group of players that always want to improve and I think you need that in international cricket. But also a group of players who are not shy and are not scared to take the brave options. If I [were] a fan, I'd certainly be coming down to watch these games because there could be some big sixes. Although not off my bowling obviously."