From Ashes nightmare to T20 World Cup heroics, Harry Brook places his ‘hardest winter’ behind him

Shortly after steering England to the semifinals of the T20 World Cup with a 50-ball hundred in opposition to Pakistan in Kandy on Tuesday, Harry Brook was candid sufficient to confess that he’d been by means of the ‘hardest winter of his life’.

A middling Ashes, the place he couldn’t rating 100 in 10 innings, and the revelation of his nightclub scuffle in Wellington – on his first abroad tour as England’s white-ball captain – had weighed on Brook’s credentials as a talismanic batter and an rising chief.

England has been removed from convincing in its wins by means of this World Cup, and Brook’s lean run didn’t promise nice issues heading into the enterprise finish of the match. However on Tuesday got here the possibility to show a nook and set issues straight.

After Phil Salt was again for a golden duck in England’s pursuit of 165, out got here Brook at No. 3 for the primary time in his T20I profession.

“It was Baz, the mastermind, there. He had a dialogue with me this morning about going up the order and attempting to maximise the powerplay, and fortunately it paid off. It was to try to maximise the PowerPlay and put them beneath strain early on,” Brook mentioned on the post-match media convention.

In T20Is, Brook has had a transparent affinity for tempo. He strikes at 174 in opposition to the quicks as in comparison with the modest 135 in opposition to the slower bowlers.

RELATED: Harry Brook turns into first captain to attain century in males’s T20 World Cup

Inserting him in opposition to Mohammad Nawaz, left-arm orthodox, and Shadab Khan, leg-break, additional defied T20 conference.

However Brook raised the bar to suit the event and its demand, developing with a century that was a minimum of a coming-of-age second for the 27-year-old.

He landed the primary punch on Pakistan by choosing 17 runs off Nawaz within the last over of the PowerPlay.

Sweeping for fulfillment: Brook took the gamble in choosing sweep pictures — one thing he has not been assured about previously few months — and reaped the dividends
| Photograph Credit score:
AFP

Brook shouldn’t be a liberal employer of the sweep shot. He’s used the choice simply 10 instances in his T20I profession.

His makes an attempt to steer away from his traditional mould haven’t gone down effectively previously. In the course of the Ashes, it was his reckless reverse sweeps that had introduced him and his recreation consciousness beneath scrutiny.

Towards Nawaz, Brook took the gamble in choosing a sweep and reaped the dividends. Shuffling throughout his stumps, he obtained down and lofted over quick tremendous leg. The opposite two hits within the over, a slice over cowl and a loft over lengthy on, may not have been that daunting.

Brook racked up 41 runs by means of the primary six overs, the seventh-most by a batter in T20 World Cups. They have been all of the extra vital since they eased the nerves of the early wickets that England misplaced.

ALSO READ: England qualifIes for semifinals as Brook’s century scripts tense win over Pakistan

“Fortunately, I obtained off to a very good begin. It’s lots simpler dealing with their fundamental spinners if you’re on 30 or 40, quite than beginning in opposition to them,” Brook mentioned.

Nonetheless, he really excelled within the chase together with his delicate changes between bursts of aggression. By the innings, Brook accomplished 9 doubles. It was a significant retort to negate Usman Tariq, who had nabbed Tom Banton and Sam Curran and threatened to halt England in its tracks.

Rotation is vital: Working between the wickets was key facet of Brook’s century, as England efficiently chased down 166 with 5 balls to spare.
| Photograph Credit score:
AP

“The outfield was truly actually laborious, so it was bobbling rather a lot. Fortunately, I misplaced a little bit little bit of weight a few years in the past as a result of I wouldn’t have been capable of run all these twos earlier than. However we have been simply attempting to place strain on their fielders as a lot as doable, and that’s one thing we’ve spoken about for the previous couple of months,” Brook mentioned.

RELATED: ‘Harry Brook performed the very best innings of his life,’ says Shaheen Afridi

By his second outright cost in opposition to spin, this day without work Shadab within the eleventh over, England was cantering dwelling. Brook was assured sufficient to step out for a down-the-ground hit and proceed together with his sweep – the 2 pictures obtained him 10 runs earlier than a pull by means of midwicket added one other 4.

A dipping yorker from Shaheen Afridi crashed into his center stump only one supply after his 50-ball century within the seventeenth over, however England had the competition in its bag. Brook had lastly stood up. Even Afridi granted him a token of appreciation, dashing for a handshake as Brook walked off.

A decent exit: Harry Brook (left) scored 100 off 50 balls earlier than Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed him, the pair sharing a handshake in a tremendous show of sportsmanship.
| Photograph Credit score:
AP

“I don’t know [if I’ll continue at No. 3]. That’s one thing for me and Baz to speak about. The longer I bat, the higher it’s for me. It’s lots simpler dealing with the very best bowlers by means of the center interval if you’re already set.

“It’s in all probability been the toughest winter of my life, to be trustworthy. There’s been lots of stuff behind the scenes. Effectively, not behind the scenes, however you understand. It’s simply good to see some rewards from my laborious work away from the bottom,” Brook mentioned.

England strikes to Colombo to face New Zealand with not a lot at stake.

The spirits will probably be excessive within the dugout, not only for the semifinals, however for its chief discovering his footing simply in time for the house stretch. Harry Brook’s ‘hardest winter’ is behind him.

Printed on Feb 25, 2026