London, June 2023. The Ashes. Harry Brook plays a weird-looking shot to get dismissed to Mitchell Starc, forcing Geoffrey Boycott to cover his eyes in shame and disappointment – or more rightly put – a facepalm moment. ‘Is this the guy touted to be our next legend?’ wondered a few English fans. 3 years later, that same guy has now become one of the strongest contenders to be a part of the Next Fab Four.
This article can also be viewed as a transition, as far as England are concerned. The original Fab Four consisted of Steven Smith, Kane Williamson, Joe Root and Virat Kohli. So as the mantle passes from Root to Brook, we also look at some of the aspects which might become fine-tuned.
Joe Root is considered as one of England’s best batters while Harry Brook is considered to be Gen Next’s leader. Brook has played 41 Tests thus far as compared to Root’s 169. If we compare the two after 41 Tests, there is not much difference in terms of the runs or average, but Brook’s strike rate of 86.32 massively outweighs Root’s 53.72.
Having made his international debut in 2012, Root has been more of a steady rock, ensuring that there is calmness at one end. His excellent footwork makes him consistent not only in Tests, but across formats and conditions. On the other hand, Brook is an out-and-out aggressive batter, looking to take the bowler on, bringing on the philosophy of T20Is into every format.
Aged 35, Root might serve his country and the sport for another five years one guesses. That would mean that we could have another few years of Root and Brook together, combining calmness and furore. Neither batter has too much weakness in his batting – but while it takes a massive effort to get Root out, sometimes, Brook’s ultra-aggression gives benefits to the opposition.
In his last 11 international innings, Joe Root has 5 scores in excess of 50. Brook has 6. On decks where batters make merry, Brook has a party. On decks where bowlers are on top, Root stands tall. However, it is in the latter scenario where a 45-minute knock of Harry Brook takes the wind out of the opposition’s sails.
In the last 4 years of international cricket, both Brook and Root find themselves in the top 5 run getters across formats, with Brook leading by a massive margin. England’s white-ball captain has amassed 6577 runs at an average of 44.43 and a stunning strike rate of 101.34, with 50 scores of 50 or more from 167 innings – that’s roughly a 50 every 3 innings.
It is probably unfair to compare two of England’s finest cricketers spread across generations. One has held the team strong in times of rot. The other is wanting to impose himself and his team on the opposition. Either way, if the pair manages to hang around for a few more years and maintain consistency, England are likely to dominate in all formats.
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