When Harry Brook arrived in the England camp last week and asked Jos Buttler how exactly he should go about batting in 50-over cricket, it ought not to have been a surprising question.
Such is the scarcity of 50-over cricket in the domestic game these days that, prior to making his One-Day International bow in Bloemfontein on Friday, Brook’s last List A knock had come more than three-and-a-half years ago.
“I said just play like it’s a Test match!” Buttler revealed - sound advice given Brook’s 468 runs in five innings on the recent red-ball tour of Pakistan had come at a strike-rate of 93.6. Having carded a duck on debut at Mangaung Oval less than 48 hours earlier, Brook bounced back with an eye-catching 80 off 75 balls in the second ODI at the same venue on Sunday.
It was enough to help England to a total of 342 for seven, but that, in turn, was not sufficient to level the series, South Africa constructing a fine run chase, anchored by Temba Bavuma’s century and finished by David Miller’s barrage, to claim an unassailable 2-0 lead with the final game, in Kimberley on Wednesday, still to come.
A depleted England arrived on this tour looking to start the fine-tuning for their World Cup defence in the autumn. Save the return to form of Jason Roy, however, the two matches so far have thrown up few answers to the many questions which must be resolved between now and the flight to India. At least, in Brook’s swift notice of arrival in this format, Buttler and Matthew Mott have had confirmed what they suspected they already knew.
“He’s incredibly special,” Buttler said. “He’s a great talent. He’s got all the game to play in every scenario and all the formats. It’s fantastic to have such a talent in English cricket.”
Few players are blessed with both the modern power-hitting and traditional class of Brook and, given the direction in which the game is headed, perhaps, soon, even fewer will be. The 23-year-old’s twin talents were showcased perfectly at the end of the 25th-over, when, off-balance, he hoisted Wayne Parnell over the midwicket boundary for six and then, the very next ball, laced a glorious drive through the off-side for four, like a greatest hits radio station rolling from Nirvana straight into Frank Sinatra.
During England’s training session at the ground on Thursday, Brook had taken to the middle to practice range-hitting, every other swing followed by a panicked cry of “heads!” as ball after ball sailed over the ropes, threatening those working to set up various bits of matchday paraphernalia. Little wonder, then, that in flow and with a century seemingly beckoning he went after part-time spinner Aiden Markram, only to hole out to Rassie van der Dussen in the deep.
Buttler said last week he feared young players faced an impossible task to become all-format cricketers, but six months into his international career, Brook is giving it a fair crack. Already he has been Player of the Series on both T20 and Test tours to Pakistan, crowned a world champion in the shorter format and looking forward to a home Ashes in the latter. The Virat Kohli comparison hoisted upon the young man by his Test skipper, Ben Stokes, does not seem to have done any harm, either.
“I think he’s got a really good head on his shoulders as well,” Buttler added. “He understands how good he is but he’s really level and he’s desperate to get better and better. He’s probably got the same kind of appetite for the game as Joe Root.”
After Wednesday’s dead-rubber, Brook is unlikely to play another ODI until New Zealand visit in September. No matter: even with various moving parts and unknowns, the new boy somehow already feels part of the furniture and seems a lock to bat at four come the World Cup.
“It was a reminder to myself that I deserve to be in this team,” under-pressure South African captain Bavuma said last night, after his timely hundred. As far as England’s is concerned, Brook’s case already looks inarguable.
