England's Harry Brook (AP Photo)
England legend Sir Geoffrey Boycott believes Harry Brook possesses the rare batting ability to reach the heights of Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, but fears the current world No. 1 Test batter is not making the most of his extraordinary talent. Boycott, who played 108 Tests and 36 ODIs for England, has been particularly critical of Brook's approach in Test cricket. While acknowledging his exceptional timing, range of shots and reach, the former England captain believes Brook's decision-making and tendency to approach Test deliveries like a white-ball batter are preventing him from fulfilling his enormous potential. “I've said before and I'll say again, I've seen a lot of players. I haven't seen anybody with the talent he's got for a long time. Enormous talent. The timing, the shot playing, he's tall, big reach, but his thinking is just unbelievable,” Boycott said in the ‘Geoffrey Boycott: An Extraordinary Innings’ podcast.
‘He could be in the realms of Lara and Tendulkar’
Brook remains ranked the world's No. 1 Test batter, but his recent run has not matched the remarkable standards he has set in the format. He has gone more than a year without a Test century. In the first Test against Pakistan at Headingley, Brook scored 91, before making 15 in the ongoing Test at Lord’s. For Boycott, the issue is not a lack of ability but how Brook chooses to use it. The former opener believes the England batter has the talent to join a very exclusive group of all-time greats if he can improve his thinking and become more selective in Test cricket. “If he wants to carry on playing that way, he'll have a decent career, but he has the ability, if he could think better, to be in the realms of Lara and Tendulkar. And, whoa, that's a bit special. To be up in that stratosphere is huge,” Boycott said. “There ain't many above them, except Bradman, and that's special. But he plays one-day cricket to every ball. He doesn't have a look at the ball, he has to bash the first ball. He'll just keep getting caught at mid-off and mid-on and daft places,” he added. Boycott's criticism centres on what he sees as Brook's inability to make the necessary adjustment between white-ball and Test cricket. Brook is also England's white-ball captain, and Boycott believes the aggressive instincts that have served him in limited-overs cricket can become a liability in the longer format.
Boycott offered to help — but heard nothing
Boycott also revealed that he had previously been offered an opportunity to speak to Brook about his Test batting, but the conversation never materialised.
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According to Boycott, Brook's uncle approached him last year and asked whether he would speak to the England batter. Boycott said he was happy to help if Brook wanted his advice, but he did not want to impose himself. “His uncle came to me last year and he said, 'Would you have a word with him?' Well, he asked me what I thought of him. I told him exactly this. He said, 'Really?' I said, 'Yeah.' I said that much ability is rare, special. “He said, 'Would you have a word with him?' I said, 'It's not for me to go to him. He might tell me to, you know, off,' I said. But if he asked me, of course I'd help. Why would I not? I gave him my number and never heard a word,” Boycott said.
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