England’s Joe Root has praised his teammate Harry Brook, calling him the best batter in the world currently. Brook’s impressive 123 off 115 against New Zealand in England’s 323-run victory in Wellington rescued the team from a precarious position of 43/4 on the first morning. The innings, which Brook considers the best of his 23-Test career, contributed to his tally of eight centuries and a remarkable batting average of 61.62.
“If you asked me, Brooky is by far and away the best player in the world at the minute,” Root said on Monday (December 9). “He has such an all-round game: he can absorb pressure, he can apply it, he can whack you over your head for six, he can scoop you over his head for six, he can smack spin, he can smack seam. He’s so hard to bowl to.”
England captain Ben Stokes also commended Brook’s performance, calling him ‘phenomenal’. “From 40-odd for four on day one, to be sat here on the winning side halfway through day three, is pretty special,” Stokes said. “In cricket terms, that pitch was what we call a snake pit… it was doing plenty. Brooky is just phenomenal. No-one has a right to go out and score 120 on that wicket, against the attack that New Zealand have. There are only a few players in the world who could go out and play like he did and I’m glad he’s in our team.”
Brook’s recent achievements have propelled him to second place on the ICC Test batting rankings, just behind Root, who hit his 36th Test hundred at the Basin Reserve, equaling the legendary Rahul Dravid for the fifth spot in the all-time Test hundreds leaderboard. Root has scored an impressive 19 Test hundreds since the start of 2021, 10 more than the next best in this period.
Despite his success, Brook remains humble and focused on improvement. “I’m trying to catch him, but he’s too good, isn’t he?” Brook said of Root. “He’s got another hundred this week and he’s obviously one of the best players, if not the best player, to have ever played the game. It’s mega to play with him and he’s awesome to watch. I’ve only played 22 or 23 games, so those stats can soon come soaring down. I’m just trying to keep on getting as good as I can, working hard in the nets and improving areas that are uncomfortable. You can always get better.”
As Brook continues to impress on the international stage, his performances have earned him high praise from his teammates and have solidified his position as one of the most exciting young talents in world cricket.
