Former England captain and legendary opener Sir Geoffrey Boycott has taken a dig at vice-captain Harry Brook for his batting style, calling him ‘a waste of talent’ and urging him not to give his wicket away as cheaply as he has done so far.
Boycott said that nobody wished to see Brook curb his natural style of play, but he had been getting himself out so far rather than the bowler having earned his wicket.
“What can you say to Harry Brook that will make him listen? He bats as if it is T20. The greatest run-scorer of any era was Don Bradman. He regularly scored faster than any other batsman in history. There have been occasional innings from various batsmen who scored faster in one-off innings but Bradman did it every time he played.”
“Harry, nobody wants to rein you in or stop you playing your strokes because you are “box office” and you can win matches, but so far you flatter and then get yourself out. What a waste of talent! Have a think how many times the bowlers bowl you out with a good ’un and how many times you give it away. Take note from the greatest ever batsman and do not give your wicket away. You could be the greatest batsman of this generation and help England become the best team in the world,” Boycott wrote in his ‘Telegraph’ column.
Boycott also said that Ben Stokes should bat at number three in the Boxing Day Test match against Australia starting on Friday. He felt that Jacob Bethell, who had been drafted in for Ollie Pope for the match, should bat at number six.
The 85-year-old felt that Pat Cummins not being there for Australia was “good news” for Joe Root, who has struggled against the pacer’s outside off-stump channel.
“Ben Stokes should bat No 3. At times, he has shown great discipline, concentration and bloody-mindedness against the seamers. Yes, facing the new ball early on will be tougher than at No 6, but he has form and experience, rather than asking a young kid to do it. Ben is blocking well but he needs to find a happy medium to keep the scoreboard ticking over as well.”
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“Pat Cummins is out of the series and that is good news for Joe Root. He had a problem with Cummins bowling fast in the corridor just outside off stump because his feet are stuck in the crease, which makes him fiddle for the ball away from his body,” he added.
