The Australian great has questioned the manner of the English batter’s dismissals.
Harry Brook has struggled to turn promising starts into big scores in the ongoing Ashes series. That has not gone down well with Ricky Ponting, who is a known admirer of the England batter. Ahead of the Boxing Day Test, the World Cup–winning former Australian captain has offered some pointed advice to Brook.
England’s Ashes campaign in Australia has fallen apart much sooner than expected. The hosts have secured the series with three consecutive wins in just 11 days, retaining the Ashes after the first three Tests.
This is Brook’s first tour of Australia. He made a positive start in Perth, scoring 52 in the first innings, but followed it up with a duck in the second. In the pink-ball Test in Brisbane, he managed scores of 31 and 15, while in Adelaide he recorded knocks of 45 and 30.
Ponting believes Brook himself is largely responsible for failing to convert his starts into substantial innings. Speaking on the ICC Review, the Australian great questioned Brook’s dismissals and suggested that the batter is not fully making use of his talent.
“I like Harry Brook. He’s one of the most exciting batters to watch in world cricket. But the way he’s getting out at times, it feels like he’s not using his full potential,” Ponting said.
Despite Brook already scoring 10 Test centuries in his career, Ponting also raised concerns about his shot selection. In Ponting’s view, Brook possesses talent comparable to England great Joe Root, and he urged him to spend more time at the crease to better adjust to Australian conditions.
“There are some shots he simply doesn’t need to play. England supporters and even some of his teammates will be frustrated by them. Brook has had the chance to closely watch how Joe Root has gone about his cricket over the past 15 years, and I’m not saying that to undermine Root,” he added.
“Harry Brook has talent similar to Joe Root. We’ve seen him attempt lap shots to Scott Boland’s yorkers—deliveries that could have easily knocked over middle and leg stump. He played those shots at a time when the team was expecting a hundred from him and hoping to chase down a target of 435,” Ponting explained.
The Boxing Day Test will get underway in Melbourne next Friday, with the fifth and final Test of the series scheduled to begin in Sydney on January 4.
