England’s legendary fast bowler, James Anderson, believes that 25-year-old Harry Brook could one day surpass Joe Root as England’s best-ever batter. Brook made headlines recently with a remarkable triple century during England’s extraordinary Test win against Pakistan in Multan, becoming the first Englishman to achieve this feat in 34 years.
While Root himself shone in the same match with a solid 262 runs, surpassing Sir Alastair Cook’s previous England record of 12,472 career Test runs, Anderson has high hopes for Brook. The veteran bowler, who holds the record for the most Test wickets for England, compared Brook’s potential to both Root and another England great, Kevin Pietersen.
Speaking on his Tailenders podcast, Anderson said, “He’s on the way to being in the top three that I’ve played with—Root, Pietersen, and him. He’s got all the attributes to overtake them.” He emphasized Brook’s unique combination of Root’s temperament and Pietersen’s aggressive shot-making ability as the key to his future success.
Brook, with 1,875 runs in just 19 Tests and 31 innings, is closing in on the fastest 2,000-run mark by an English batter, a record set by Herbert Sutcliffe in 1928. At this early stage of his career, Brook’s numbers compare favorably to both Pietersen and Root. Pietersen, widely regarded as one of England’s best three-format players, had 8,181 Test runs by the end of his career in 2014 but trailed behind Brook’s figures at the same 19-Test milestone. Similarly, Root had amassed 1,447 runs after 19 Tests, fewer than Brook’s current tally.
Anderson praised Brook’s versatility, noting that he can adapt his style based on the situation, balancing aggressive and composed innings. “He’s got the temperament of Joe Root but also the shots of both Root and Pietersen,” Anderson remarked. “He can destroy an attack or play a longer innings if needed.”
Brook’s rise comes during an exciting period for English cricket, with both him and Root contributing heavily to the team’s recent success in Pakistan. England’s total of 823-7 declared in the Multan Test was their highest in Test cricket since 1938, and their 454-run partnership became the highest for any wicket in England’s history.
As for Root, the 33-year-old has been steadily adding to his run tally, now at 12,664 from 147 Tests, and is on pace to challenge the all-time record of 15,921 runs held by India’s Sachin Tendulkar.
Anderson highlighted the strong bond between the two players, emphasizing their shared love for batting and learning from one another. “They just want to bat. Harry may be the younger player learning from Root, but Root also learns from him,” Anderson said.
With such glowing praise from a teammate of Anderson’s stature, Brook appears well on his way to cementing his place among England’scricketing elite.
