Southampton [UK], September 16 (ANI): England skipper Harry Brook spoke highly of Kevin Pietersen’s influence, revealing that he had watched highlights of the former England star and admired his ability to access different areas of the ground, which made him difficult to bowl to and captain against.
Brook said he is looking forward to having regular conversations with Pietersen, particularly about reading different surfaces and adapting his skills to conditions. He also believes Pietersen’s guidance could benefit his development across both white-ball and Test cricket, adding that the former England batter could have a significant impact on his career.
Pietersen’s influence on England’s white-ball setup is already beginning to show, if their commanding victory over Sri Lanka in Southampton on Tuesday is anything to go by.
Pietersen joined England’s squad earlier this month as a specialist mentor through to the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The ICC Hall of Famer has already begun making his presence felt within the playing group, with captain Harry Brook among those benefiting from his experience and insights.
“I was actually watching his (Pietersen) highlights earlier, funnily enough. He was a phenomenal player. The way he accessed different areas of the ground made it really tricky to captain and bowl to, and I’m looking forward to having a lot of conversations about that,” Brook said.
“I mentioned it to him earlier, and him trying to help me in reading different surfaces and using my skills to perform on that pitch as well. That’s not just for white-ball cricket, that’s for Test cricket as well. Hopefully he can have a big impact on my career,” he added.
Brook described Pietersen as a hero to many in England’s dressing room, praising his unique approach to batting and his desire to constantly put bowlers under pressure.
He said Pietersen’s mindset is similar to his own and expressed excitement about working more closely with the former England star, who he believes is a valuable presence within the team.
“He’s a hero to a lot of players in that changing room. We all grew up watching him and admiring his work, and it’s just awesome to have a man of his calibre in the changing room. Obviously we haven’t had too much time together so far, but he’s a great figure to have in the changing room; the type of player he was, he looked at batting slightly differently, in a similar way to me as well,” Brook said of Pietersen.
“He always wants to try and look to put the bowlers under pressure, and I’m looking forward to working with him a lot more,” he concluded. (ANI)
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