Harry Brook completes one of England’s finest centuries after McCullum masterstroke

Harry Brook woke up in Pallekele expecting to bat in his usual number five position. By the night’s end, Brook had used his new position at number three to play one of England’s finest Twenty20 innings: a round 100 that led his side to a two-wicket victory over Pakistan and a World Cup semi-final berth.

At breakfast time, Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, advanced the notion that Brook should move to number three.

“Baz was the mastermind there,” Brook said after his century. “Baz came up to me this morning and said, ‘look, why don’t we just try you at three and try and maximise the Powerplay?’ The longer I bat, the better it is for me. And it’s a lot easier facing their best bowlers through the middle period when you’re already set.”

Brook has been ensconced at five because of a belief in how his power can clear the ropes when the field are out. The rationale was understandable.

Yet such thinking overlooked simple logic: that, in T20, the best batsmen should be empowered to face the most deliveries. When he has batted at five for England, Brook only faces an average of 15 balls per innings. The position artificially restricts how England’s best all-format batsman can impact the game.

England had wanted Brook to bat earlier in the innings – just not quite this early. When Phil Salt slashed Shaheen Shah Afridi behind, England were nought for one after one ball in pursuit of 165 to win. For the first time in his international T20 career, Brook walked out at number three. Handily, the new role makes it less likely that he will face spin at the start of his innings. At the same time, shuffling Jacob Bethell to four makes more use of his own prowess against spin.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]