Rising star Harry Brook reflects on living out his childhood dream… and why he cut out Big Macs

There was never any doubt in Harry Brook’s mind. 

‘If you spoke to my mum and dad they would tell you virtually as soon as I could speak I would say I wanted to play cricket for England,’ says the new star of the English game. ‘Thankfully I’ve done that now and even if I never play again I’ve achieved my ambition.’

He certainly won’t have to worry about not adding to his one Test and 14 Twenty20 international appearances because there will surely be many more ahead in all formats.

England’s rising star Harry Brook has wanted to play for England ever since he ‘could speak’

Brook, at 23, is already regarded by wise judges as England’s next great batsman and, crucially, one who will flourish in both white and red-ball cricket. ‘I don’t know who’s been saying that,’ he says, shuffling self-consciously in his seat at the England team hotel at the T20 World Cup. ‘I haven’t got Twitter and I never read these things. But I don’t think I’d be sat here if I didn’t have the confidence to believe I’m a good player.

‘One thing I’ve been working on is trying to stay in the moment. I don’t really want to think about the future because if I start looking too far ahead, that’s when everything could go downhill. All I’m thinking about is playing golf this afternoon. Then it will be the next game and concentrating on my first ball.’

It was the morning after England completed a rare series victory in Australia and Brook was talking to Sportsmail about his breakthrough year in Twenty20 and Test cricket for England, his cricket-mad family and the huge decision they made to pack him off to boarding school at 14 — and the mentor at Sedbergh School in Cumbria who helped change his life.

But first we talked about beating Australia which, following on from a series victory in Pakistan, saw England reassert themselves as one of the favourites for the World Cup.

‘I walked into the ground with a couple of the lads before the second game and said, ‘Let’s just win the series today, how good would that be?’,’ Brook says.

‘Nobody sees this as a warm-up. The main aim was to go out and beat Australia and take that confidence into the World Cup. So far, so good.’

Not that Brook has made his mark in this part of the world just yet. His poor record in the series against Australia and in the Big Bash for Hobart is in stark contrast to his success in the Blast with Yorkshire, the Pakistan Super League with Lahore, a prolific start to the red-ball season last summer and then his hugely positive impression with England.

‘I’ve been waiting for someone to ask about my record here,’ he smiles. ‘I haven’t spent much time out there so far! Australia are a serious group. They can be intimidating. But you just have to go out there and do your job.’

Brook has struggled in Australia so far but will look to change this during the T20 World Cup

Brook has been doing his job pretty well ever since he returned to his old mentor from school — Martin Speight, the former Sussex and Durham batter — and asked him to help sort out the technical issue that was stopping him realising his huge potential.

‘It was just before Covid,’ says Brook. ‘I went to Martin because I knew he’d be the best man to help me. I had to change because I was getting out in all sorts of ways. I wanted to narrow it down to one or two modes of dismissal so I introduced a trigger movement.

‘Before I was stood still but now I have a little back-and-across thing and that helps my balance, weight and my head to go towards the ball. I play straighter and feel in a position now to play almost any shot.

‘But I’m sure something else will crop up in the future and when it does I’ll be going back to Speighty to help me again.’

Speight was something of a pioneer when he played in the 1990s and was one of the first batters to try to sweep fast bowlers. And he was innovative when he coached Brook.

‘The basics definitely come first and then you can try your funky things,’ says Brook.

‘There was one exercise where Martin would put cones 360 degrees all the way round a pitch and I’d earn points for hitting the ball into each cone. That’s probably helped how I can hit the ball into different areas now.’

Brook has impressed for England with his ability to hit the ball to all areas of the cricket pitch

But the biggest help, perhaps, came off the pitch. ‘I was a short little fat lad when I first went to Sedbergh and I did use to call myself the heavy roller then,’ he smiles. ‘I still wouldn’t say I’m in the greatest shape but I try to be smart now.

‘Eating Big Macs every day is not good for you, is it? I just did all sorts to try to get fitter. I was always going to work hard at cricket but I had to find the motivation at that time to get stronger, fitter and faster.’

That motivation came from his move on a scholarship to Sedbergh from his state school near his home village of Burley in Wharfedale, West Yorkshire. But at first the transition was tough.

‘The first month was really hard because I’d never been away from home for that period of time before,’ Brook admits.

‘I remember being on the phone all the time to my mum asking if I could come home because I didn’t want to be there.

‘But I just powered through and cracked on. I really enjoyed it after that and some of my best mates now are from school. It’s been one of the biggest things in my life and I’ll forever be grateful to Sedbergh and all who made it possible for me to go there.’

The leafy surroundings of Sedbergh are a world away from international cricket. But Brook has taken to it with aplomb this year, making his Test debut against South Africa at the Oval. The experience started when Ben Stokes, playfully, said Brook was a bit dumb. ‘It was funny, he can call me whatever he likes — he’s Ben Stokes!’ says Brook. And it went on to be an eventful week in more ways than one. I did think the game would be called off when the Queen sadly passed away,’ Brook adds.

‘Then when it became clear we were going to start on the third day, Stokesey got us together and said, ‘No matter what, we’re going to get a result out of this game, whether we win or they win’.

‘And then we ended up winning in something like two days. It was ridiculous really.

‘The mindset he and Baz McCullum have brought into the group has been so good. They’ve been phenomenal this year and it’s been great to be a part of.’

Brook (L) has enjoyed life under the new England Test coach Brendon McCullum (middle right)

Brook’s most spectacular moment came when he smashed 81 off 35 balls to win the third T20 international in Karachi, a thrilling display that forced Jos Buttler to say England had reconsidered their World Cup selection plans to include him at No 5.

That’s where he will bat against Afghanistan in Perth in their tournament opener on Saturday, unless Liam Livingstone somehow forces a rethink on his return in the final practice match against Pakistan here at the Gabba.

‘What I did in Pakistan was helpful in getting me into the team but there’s no cemented spot in my eyes,’ Brook says. ‘I’ve got to keep on scoring runs. You’ve never got enough runs.’

Spoken like a true Yorkshireman, and an Englishman who can be expected to rack up those runs in Test and T20 cricket for many years to come.

Brook’s impressive performances in Pakistan have made England rethink who is in their best XI