England’s sensational batsman Harry Brook has opened up about his comparisons with Kevin Pietersen. Brook has been sensational for England since his international debut. He has shown his ability across all formats and emerged as one of the greatest talents produced by England in recent years.
Brook likes to score runs aggressively, irrespective of the format. His positive intent has been praised by cricket pundits across the world. He recently scored a magnificent hundred against the West Indies in the second Test at Nottingham to help his team win the match and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
Also read: Will Harry Brook challenge Ben Stokes for England captaincy? Star batsman gives crucial clue
“I want to be Harry Brook” – Harry Brook on his comparisons to Kevin Pietersen
Asked about his comparisons to English great Kevin Pietersen, Brook was clear that he wanted to be himself and not someone else, although he accepted the fact that batsmen today need to pick different parts of other batsmen and put them into their own game.
“I want to be my own batsman. I want to be Harry Brook, not anyone else. Nowadays, you have to take different parts from other batsmen and put them into your game. One example is Rooty [Joe Root] “Playing the ball so late, or AB de Villiers batting all over the place, and Kevin Pietersen for his power. So yeah, you see little bits of other people’s games and try to fit them into your own. I’ve done a bit of that… but not too much,” Brook was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
Brook’s innings against the West Indies in the second Test was a true picture of his enormous talent. He did not try to take excessive risks and still scored runs at a strike rate of over 80. His positive intent makes him a perfect player for England’s Bazball style of play.
Harry Brook has sensational numbers in the tests
Brook has been sensational in his Test career so far where he has scored 1376 runs in 14 Tests so far at an average of 62.54 and a strike rate of 90.70. He has the second highest average in Tests with a minimum of 20 innings. First on the list is the great Sir Don Bradman who finished his career with an average of 99.94.
Asked if his career average was only next to Sir Don Bradman, Brook suggested it could fluctuate rapidly, although he hoped to keep it as high as possible. The 25-year-old maintained that Test cricket will always be his priority and his main focus will be to stay in the present.
“That could definitely swing either way. Hopefully, I can keep it that high. But if not, so be it. Test cricket and playing for England are my priority. I don’t want to think too far ahead. The Ashes (in 2025/26) is a long way off and we’ve got a lot of Test cricket before that. My main focus is on living in the moment and not getting ahead of myself,” Brook said, according to Sky Sports.
Harry Brook will lead Northern Superchargers in The Hundred after the Test series against West Indies. It will be a great opportunity for the youngster to test his ability to lead a team.