Ashes 2023: Harry Brook is a talented player but skill is to choose when to hit the shot, says Eoin Morgan

Former England skipper Eoin Morgan reckons Harry Brook is a talented player but the skill is to choose when to hit the shot. Brook was dismissed after scoring four runs in the second essay of the second Test when England was chasing a huge total of 371 runs.

In fact, the talented youngster scored a fifty in the first innings of the second Test match at Lord’s but could not deliver in the second essay. Brook has scored 132 runs in four innings of the ongoing Ashes at an average of 33.

Brook has made a terrific start to his Test career, amassing 950 runs in nine Test matches and he has impressed with his blistering strike rate.

Morgan, who led England to World Cup glory in the 2019 World Cup, feels Brook pulled off the trigger earlier than he should have.

“Harry Brook pushed the button a bit too early in the first innings. He is a hugely talented player as we have seen in Test cricket and has all the shots. But the skill is to choose when to hit the shot. He can learn as the series goes on as the other players have shown,” said Morgan while talking to Sky Sports.

Meanwhile, Morgan lauded Australian skipper Pat Cummins for getting the big wickets of Joe Root and Harry Brook in the same over. Cummins bowled a peach to get rid of the youngster.

“It was an excellent delivery to get Brook and it held up the slope so you can totally understand why he played the line. But I have to say good bowling and that too early in his innings,” Morgan added.

On the other hand, former England batter Kevin Pietersen feels Harry Brook has looked at sea while facing short-pitched deliveries and Australia has taken advantage of the same.

“If we are the captains of Australia and we have seen the way he (Brook) has had flaps at the short ball and the way he has defended it, it hasn’t been too secure. I agree with Morgan that he (Cummins) could have easily tested him with a Bumper there. But it was genius bowling,” said Pietersen.

Australia took a 2-0 lead in the Ashes after winning the second Test match by 43 runs on Sunday. England skipper Ben Stokes scored a scintillating knock of 155 runs but his heroics went in vain.