Of the England players arriving into this Ashes riding the crest of England’s nu-wave, Harry Brook is probably at its very peak. Which explains the confidence he has in stating the faster Australia bowl, the quicker they will get sent to the boundary.
“Obviously they might have a little bit of extra pace, but if they bowl quicker it tends to go to the boundary quicker,” he said, when asked about the arsenal of the visiting quicks. They will be the best and sharpest he has faced so far. And he doesn’t seem all that bothered by them at all.
All to a man speak of belief and a love of being where they are and doing what they are doing. But few wear it as proudly as Brook. The 24-year-old has tangible proof of just how highly he is regarded in the England set-up.
That the return of 2022’s Bazball totem Jonny Bairstow meant losing Ben Foakes, a reliable performer and certainly a superior wicketkeeper, was a testament to how the Yorkshire wunderkind has made the position his own. Seven caps in, 818 runs, four centuries, averaging 81.80 and striking at 99.03 – in a free-wheeling group, he is non-negotiable.
“There was a lot of talk of me opening the batting – thank god I’m not doing that,” laughed Brook, perhaps remembering a 10-game stint for Yorkshire across 2018 and 2019 in which he averaged 14.94 at the top of the order.
“I was never asked. It gives me a lot of confidence knowing that I’m going to be batting five and they back me batting there.”
To have established himself so early and in such fashion – after picking up a T20 World Cup winners’ medal, he then toured Pakistan and New Zealand, scoring more runs in nine innings than any in Test history – speaks to a high base level of self-regard dovetailing with undoubted ability. The drive to get to this level has been evident throughout, and the enthusiasm to replicate the exploits of the England stars of 2005 – a fond series for him, albeit on DVD years after given he was six at the time – is clear. Some of his mates will be on hand in the Hollies, and will no doubt toast Brook’s Ashes debut repeatedly throughout the day.
This Test, however, is the first with a sense of responsibility around Brook, even if the McCullum-Stokes ethos is geared towards quashing anything that promotes caution. That he feels part of it all is in some way an acceptance of those expectations.
“It’s a dream come true to be involved in my first Ashes,” said Brook. “Growing up I was watching some of these players who are still playing, against the best in the world and the best Australians. I’m looking forward to it.
“I feel like I’m more part of the team now. Obviously as a deputy you don’t quite feel like you’re meant to be there if you know what I mean. So to have been contributing and gain a few match-winning performances this winter has meant the world and I feel a big part of the team now.”
That Bairstow is behind him offers him license to go even harder, if that is possible. And with Moeen Ali behind the keeper-batter, Brook is excited by the prospect of seeing how a blockbuster lower-middle-order can perform out in the middle.
“It’s a long batting line-up, that’s for sure. There’s a lot of T20 experience in there and lads batting with the tail tend to go harder and hit as many runs in a short period of time. To have them boys batting at seven and eight is ridiculous really.”
That Brook has never faced Australia – the match at last year’s World Cup was rained off – puts a little bit extra on this. There is no doubt he will be the subject of a lot of their attention. The numbers – what he’s posted and his age – have put a target on his back, and he will not be lost for people to talk to when batting as the visitors look to disrupt his flow.
There is no doubt the man will be willing to go toe-to-toe and give a bit back. He is certainly aiming to carry on his domineering ways out in the middle, even against the best attack in the world right now. And especially against one of the modern era’s premiere off-spinners in Nathan Lyon.
“If I get a good ball I’m going to try and survive against that good ball, and if he bowls me a bad ball I’ll try and hit it for four or six. So it’s not necessarily I’m going to come after him and try and hit every ball for six. I’m going to respect the bowler and whatever he bowls and if it is a bad ball I’ll try and hit it for six.”