Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen believes that despite not being in the provisional squad, Harry Brook will make a bold comeback by playing in England’s ODI World Cup opener against New Zealand. This unexpected statement challenges the current squad lineup.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) allows teams to adjust their ODI World Cup squads until September 28.
Pietersen shared his view on platform X, asserting, “I think Harry Brook will play in England’s first game at the CWC!”
Pietersen’s assertion follows Brook’s exceptional performance, scoring an impressive 105 runs in only 42 balls, including an incredible seven sixes and 11 boundaries. Brook’s outstanding display happened when he was representing the Northern Superchargers against Welsh Fire in The Hundred tournament. Notably, Brook has excelled in The Hundred, scoring an impressive total of 238 runs across seven games.
For those unfamiliar, Brook has played only three ODIs for England, earlier this year in a series against South Africa. In those matches, the right-handed batter scored 0, 80, and 6, respectively. However, England won the series 2-1. Unfortunately, despite his contributions, the 24-year-old player was later left out for the ODI series against Bangladesh in March, which England won 2-1.
It’s important to highlight Brook’s excellence extends beyond ODIs. He has demonstrated remarkable form in Test matches, accumulating a noteworthy 1,181 runs in just 12 games, including four centuries and seven half-centuries. Moreover, Brook’s T20I record is commendable, with 372 runs in 20 matches for England, including one fifty.