Harry Brook has set his sights on a new challenge, off-spin bowling, which he aims to showcase during next summer’s The Hundred.
The batter hit a stunning 31 from just seven deliveries as England chased down the West Indies’ total in Grenada on Saturday, which kept the Twenty20 series alive.
Brook has primarily played for England as a batter only, although his seam bowling memorably dismissed New Zealand captain Kane Williamson in a Test match at the start of this year.
The 24-year-old has bowled in three Test matches, bowling 84 deliveries and taking one wicket, but he has decided to turn away from seam bowling, which he has done throughout his career.
As a seamer, he has bowled over 1,000 first-class deliveries, but it is off-spin that Brook is now targeting.
He has reportedly bowled off-spin regularly in the nets throughout England’s tour of the Caribbean.
“It was jokey at the start but then I’ve actually started to get pretty good at it,” Brook said, reported by The Telegraph.
“So, I’m just trying to work on it and see what can happen. My aim is to try and bowl in the Hundred this summer and see what happens.
“The seamers are still there – for Test cricket in England on a green seamer then I might be needed, like we saw in the Ashes.
“But I am trying to look towards the Hundred. I might not bowl, obviously, but it’s a little target I’ve got. And it’s actually coming out quite nicely, so we’ll see what happens.”
The Hundred does not start until next August, but England have called up two uncapped spinners for their five-Test tour of India in January.
Bowling spin in the nets is something often seen by cricketers, James Anderson attempted left-arm spin last winter, while it is also something Jofra Archer attempts regularly, even bowling it in a recent match for his former school. But it is not shown in matches.
