Harry Brook at No.3: England locked and loaded

A blistering 50-ball century against Pakistan. A captain dragging England into the T20 World Cup semifinal. A coming-of-age knock in white-ball cricket.

Harry Brook walked off Pallekele on Tuesday, having produced the second-fastest century in the history of the T20 World Cup and first by a captain.



A buccaneering innings that even Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi – who eventually dismissed him – called it "the best innings of his life."

Four years ago, Brook and Afridi shared a dressing room at Lahore Qalandars in the PSL, victorious together. In Pallekele, they were adversaries. Afridi struck four times for Pakistan. It hardly mattered. The job was already done.

Brook's knock was a masterclass. A jagged few months preceded this superlative knock.

A lacklustre Ashes campaign in Australia yielded just two half-centuries and an average of 39.7, his second-worst return in any Test series of substance.

On the eve of the final match of his first overseas tour in New Zealand as England’s white-ball captain, reports emerged of a drunken altercation with a nightclub bouncer in Wellington. The episode trailed him home through the winter. Brook offered his apology. But before this showpiece tournament, there were calls for his resignation.

“It’s probably been the hardest winter of my life to be honest,” he said in Pallekele, after England had secured victory against Pakistan and the two points needed to claim a spot in the semifinals. “There’s been a lot of stuff behind the scenes. But it’s nice to see some rewards for my hard work," Brook said.

This century was a knock of redemption. The move that enabled it was conceived hours earlier. England head coach Brendon McCullum floated the idea on the morning of the match to promote Brook to No. 3 for the first time in his T20 international career. The logic was twofold. First, his extraordinary record against Pakistan. The 27-year-old averages 62.7 against them in T20s and 84.1 in Tests. Second, and more obvious, the opportunity to maximise the fielding restrictions. The message was delivered in the pre-match huddle. Brook's execution was emphatic.

England lost wickets. Brook counterpunched. Where others prodded, he pierced the field with ease. "I know we were losing wickets, but my job was still to put them under pressure throughout," Brook later said. He did so with a clarity that belied the turbulence of the past few months.

Brook could make No.3 spot his very own. England's white-ball captain hinted that he and McCullum will revisit the discussions, but the benefits are obvious.

The longer Brook bats, the more dangerous he becomes. Set early, he can dismantle attacks in the middle overs. It is simpler, he says, facing the best bowlers when you are already in.

For a player who makes batting look so easy, the past winter has been torrid. Form dipped and scrutiny intensified. Yet, in the heat of a T20 World Cup chase, clarity returned, much to England's delight.



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