Brook underlines status as world's best all-format batter in run-fest
Harry Brook's record-breaking 202 against Sri Lanka ended in an England defeat — but it only strengthened the case that he is the finest all-format batter in world cricket.
Twelve months ago, Harry Brook was wondering whether he might be sacked as England's white-ball captain after a chastening defeat in Wellington. What a difference a year makes.
In Rawalpindi, Brook underlined his claim to be the finest all-format batter in world cricket with a breathtaking 202 in a one-day international against Sri Lanka. It was the fastest double century in ODI history, the first by an Englishman, and contained 21 fours and 10 sixes.
Remarkably, England still lost. Sri Lanka's mammoth total of 430 proved just beyond reach even after Brook's heroics, leaving England to rue a defeat from what had seemed an impregnable position. The disappointment of the result should not obscure what the innings said about Brook's standing.
The numbers behind him are staggering. Brook is ranked by the ICC as the world's best Test batter, averages 36.21 at a strike rate of 164.92 in T20 internationals, and now has an international hundred in every format — an exclusive club with very few members. As ODI captain he averages 31 runs more per innings with the armband on.
Brook himself insists he is not the "finished article". Speaking to the BBC in August, he said: "I have the ability to hit it everywhere, I just have to figure it out quicker in games."
What is still missing is a starring role in a major series or tournament win. With a home Ashes and a 50-over World Cup on the horizon, that moment may be approaching.
Source: BBC News — Top Stories — TrendWire reports stories in its own words; facts should be confirmed against the original source.