Harry Brook’s meteoric rise in international cricket has been met with scrutiny after a series win against Sri Lanka where he averaged 30. However, Brook remains unfazed, acknowledging that he has been trying to avoid overanalyzing his approach.
Brook’s scores in the final Test against Sri Lanka (19 and 3) were underwhelming, but it was his manner at the crease that drew attention. He appeared frustrated when Sri Lanka bowled wide outside his off stump, leading to criticism from former England captain Michael Vaughan.
Despite a long season that included the T20 World Cup, six home Tests, and the Hundred, Brook remains relaxed ahead of his England captaincy debut at Trent Bridge. He admits that his Test summer did not go as planned but dismisses suggestions of mental fatigue.
“I probably was [feeling] a little bit [tired],” Brook said. “But if I’d have gone out and got two hundreds against Sri Lanka then I’d have been like, ‘I’ll just carry on’. But no, not really. I love playing cricket: I want to play as much as I possibly can.”
Brook’s captaincy experience is limited to England Under-19s and sporadic 50-over cricket. However, he aims to keep things simple against Australia, batting at No. 4. “I’m just going to go out there and watch the ball as closely as possible,” he said.
Brook is standing in as captain for Jos Buttler, who is recovering from a calf injury. Buttler has encouraged Brook to identify game-changing moments in the field, something he has struggled with in ODIs.
This ODI series is one of only three for England before the Champions Trophy in February. It also marks the beginning of a “strategic restructure” under new limited-overs coach Brendon McCullum. Brook believes this will lead to greater convergence between formats.
“We want to go out there and entertain the crowd, take the game on, try to take wickets and put the pressure on their bowlers,” Brook said.
After a disappointing end to the Test summer, Brook hopes that this new challenge will reinvigorate him. “The way the lads have gone about their business in training just seems so chilled at the minute,” he said. “We’re all looking forward to going out there and having some fun.”
