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topicnews · October 24, 2024

Pak vs Eng – Harry Brook looks for an emphatic response after his rare fallout appearance in Pakistan

Pak vs Eng – Harry Brook looks for an emphatic response after his rare fallout appearance in Pakistan

Pakistan’s National Statistics Office held its first “Data Fest” conference this week, 10 minutes from England’s hotel in Islamabad. Under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, this England line-up has shown minimal interest in numbers, but there is one number that stands out ahead of their series decider in nearby Rawalpindi: 101.25, Harry Brooks batting average in Pakistan.
Two years have passed since Brook announced himself as a Test cricketer with an incredible first hundred in Rawalpindi. He was England’s fourth star as the side scored 506 for 4 on the opening day of their series against Pakistan, eventually losing 153 from 116 balls on the second morning after snagging 27 from an over from Zahid Mahmood.
He followed that innings with England’s subsequent hundreds in Multan and Karachi, a continuation of an impressive run of form in Pakistan that began with a century in the 2022 PSL and continued with a groundbreaking T20I series. Not since Kevin Pietersen had an English batsman made such a convincing start to his Test career.
Brook started the series on his return this month with 317 in Multan, a mammoth innings that was England’s highest in 34 years. But more than 500 km away in Peshawar, Sajid Khan was watching closely on television and noticed Brook retreating against the spin. When he was called up for the second Test, Sajid hatched a plan to turn the ball sharply out of the rough.

“There was a small spot outside the stump,” Sajid explained. “When he faced his first ball, I told Rizi bhai [Mohammad Rizwan] If he plays like that again, I’ll get him out.” Brook stayed behind, as Sajid had predicted, and tried to hit through cover but was hit on the inside edge by a ball that stayed low and bounced back his leg stump.

Brook was again at the back in England’s second innings, this time against left-back Noman Ali. Sitting deep in his crease, he attempted to swing the ball over mid-wicket but was deceived by the low bounce and caught pound. With scores of 9 and 16, this was Brooks’ least successful Test in Pakistan: his first without a hundred and his first loss.

Brendon McCullum, England coach, grinned after the second Test when he heard Sajid Brook had revealed his plans. “Did he? Bowled well,” said McCullum. “He’s such an exciting cricketer and such a big player for us too and he tries to put pressure on the opposition… Sometimes you make mistakes and get eliminated.”

A quiet Test immediately after the triple hundred is not enough to raise long-term concerns, but Brook said on Tuesday that he had discussed game plans against Sajid and Noman ahead of this week’s decider. “They’re both obviously going to play a big role on their team,” he said. “Hopefully it pays off and I play a big role in the game.”

Brook agreed with Sajid’s assessment that he preferred to play spin on the back foot. “I’m happy to do that,” he said. “It gives you a lot more time to play the spinning ball. There are different areas in which you can play. I’m not saying I won’t do that: I’ll try to play at the back and I’ll try to put pressure on him.

It’s hardly a problem that has plagued him throughout his Test career: to date, Brook averages more against spin (67.81) than seam (57.70). But the reason his double failures were notable was that, having missed England’s tour to India on compassionate leave, he was playing for the first time on a pitch that was clearly in the spinners’ favour.

England staged a six-goal contest ahead of their final training session in Rawalpindi on Wednesday morning, with Brook finishing just behind Rehan Ahmed. Stokes said the aim was to “get the good vibes going” after spending three weeks mostly in two hotels and two stadiums, but it also served as a reminder of Brooks’ devastating power.
It’s easy to forget that Brook still only played 20 Tests, so quickly did he become a regular in all formats for England. He has an outstanding record with an average of just under 60, but it’s still a work in progress. “Overall he’s a baby,” said Jason Gillespie, Pakistan’s coach. “He will do anything under any conditions, that’s what good players usually do.”

It’s been a long season for Brook: he’s played more or less continuously since the start of April, with 35 games across all formats, including eight Tests, five ODIs as stand-in captain and a T20 World Cup. Thursday’s Rawalpindi Test will finally bring it to a close, although it will only have a short break before England travel to New Zealand.

As a three-format player, Brook is becoming increasingly accustomed to the rigors of the international schedule and will soon become accustomed to opponents targeting what they perceive as potential weaknesses. If he can overcome both pitfalls and maintain his remarkable three-figure average in Pakistan, it will be a big step towards England’s victory in this series.

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