Harry Brook the Star in the Making Who Is Putting It All on Himself

Harry Brook has emerged as one of the most thrilling young cricketers in the England cricket side but his experience in the latest Test series has come across as a gamble. In three games he has been sighted in moments of brilliance as well as evidence of trouble. It hasn't been an easy journey but one with highs and lows and a good dose of fortune. Against the unsurety of his performances Brook has endured as a mainstay of England's batting lineup. He hit an awe-inspiring 158 at Birmingham which reminded everyone why he is regarded as being one of the stars of English cricket. That innings was part of a 303-run partnership with Jamie Smith who dragged England out of a deep hole at 84 for 5. Although his hands started to cramp, he struggled through the pain and played one of the finest knocks of his career. That innings temporarily made him the world's number one ranked batter, at least according to the ICC.

But then there were the other matches. At Headingley he made 99 in the first innings short of a century at his home ground. It might have been worse since he was actually bowled on zero by Jasprit Bumrah but a no-ball rescued him. He was dropped once before he eventually fell short of a hundred. In the second innings he survived only one ball. Then at Lord's he was bowled twice one of them when attempting to sweep a half-volley by Akash Deep shortly before lunch. Kumar Sangakkara who was on air then delivered a harsh verdict declaring the shot arrogant and not in England's mould called Bazball.

Brook's recent show has been an example of how even England's brightest batter can get caught in a storm of form technique and psychological pressure. While he has scored more runs than nearly anybody else in the team in the course of the series his strategy at times has appeared forced and in doubt. There has been a perceptible change in his style with more planned shots and aggressive movements which has led to speculation that he is working too hard to adapt to a certain brand of cricket. The bowlers against India have done their homework. Paying attention to the fact that Brook prefers standing outside off stump and getting further out as the ball is bowled they have used deliveries nipping back in to attack off stump. It has been successful a couple of times and Brook has also been bowled by such deliveries on more than one occasion.

This could be the reason for him occasionally appearing to play irrational shot selections. At Headingley he charged down the track and lofted over extra cover for four in a brilliant but dangerous moment. At Lord's he attempted two scoops against Akash Deep before attempting a sweep when a very good fielder was placed in exactly that position. He missed and was bowled. What made it even more unexpected was that a couple of balls before that, he had played a similar ball so beautifully to mid-wicket for four with no risk.

Even Brook is not one who has banked on luck or bits of brilliance alone. He has always been a special one and those around him could see that early. Daniel Speight his coach at Sedbergh School was so sure of Brook’s potential that he told another teacher that the boy would one day play for England. That teacher Mark Shopland placed a hundred pound bet at odds of 100 to one and when Brook finally got his England cap the ticket paid out ten thousand pounds. This kind of early belief was not based on blind hope. Brook won a bursary to stay on at school due to his cricket skills. He progressed through the England age groups rapidly and once he came into the senior team he made an immediate impression with four centuries and three half-centuries in his first six Tests.

Brook has also demonstrated the capacity to recover from adversity. Following a brilliant performance in the Under-19 World Cup in 2018 he underperformed the following year and was even left out of Yorkshire's team. His alignment and setup were faulty and his confidence was dented. But following a talk to Joe Root on a team bus he made a choice to reform. He worked on his mindset and technique and returned a stronger man. This indicates that Brook possesses maturity to learn from failure and employ such failures to correct themselves.

One of the qualities that have always been impressive in Brook's cricket is his consistency. Speight once stated that Brook could bat for hours without varying his style. He would concentrate on every ball equally hard whether it was the first or the eightieth. He never felt bored nor attempted useless shots to amuse himself. Such level of concentration is not common particularly in young players and it has contributed to his rapid emergence.

Interestingly enough Brook's personality has developed as much as his cricket. He was an extremely shy student at school who hardly ever spoke and only ever worried about cricket. Jokes were of no concern to him and he used to take everything very seriously. However, now he is someone who argues with rivals on the pitch and even jokes with them in a friendly manner. At Lord's in a close-ended game he was frequently talking to India's up-and-coming allrounder Nitish Reddy reminding him that his Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL season was already behind him. It was cheeky but assured and a side of Brook that would have surprised his former teachers.

This change both on and off the field is what makes Brook such a fascinating presence in the England set-up. He is not only fitting into the system he is dominating it and leaving his imprint on the game. There are still two Tests remaining in the series and given the way things have progressed it would not be surprising if Brook comes up with something special when the chips are down. He might have had a lottery-like ride so far but if anyone knows how to bet on himself and win it is Harry Brook.