Harry Brook praised Kevin Pietersen’s influence after England beat Sri Lanka by 119 runs in the opening T20I at the Utilita Bowl.
The hosts posted a mammoth 254-4 in Southampton, with captain Brook smashing an unbeaten 114 from just 49 balls, before Sri Lanka were skittled for 135.
Tuesday’s match was Pietersen’s first since being appointed white-ball mentor by head coach Brendon McCullum ahead of the 2027 Cricket World Cup in South Africa.
Pundits were also quick to hail Brook’s performance, with his ability to make an impact across all three formats once again on full display.
‘Phenomenal’ Pietersen praised
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Brook said of Pietersen’s influence: “He looked at batting slightly differently, in a similar way to me as well. He always wants to put the bowlers under pressure.
“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 conversations about that.
“I mentioned to him about trying to help me read surfaces and using my skills to perform on that pitch as well – not just for white-ball cricket, Test cricket as well.
“Hopefully, he can have a big impact on my career. He’s a hero to a lot of players. We grew up watching him and it’s just awesome to have a man of his calibre in the changing room.”
READ MORE: Cricket news: England players ‘buzzing’ following addition of Kevin Pietersen, says Brendon McCullum
Pundits hail Brook
Sky Sports pundits Kumar Sangakkara and Eoin Morgan, meanwhile, hailed Brook’s talent following another devastating display by the 27-year-old.
“He reads length so quickly. He is very light and nimble on his feet; he has oodles of time and devastating power,” the former Sri Lanka captain stated.
“On the back foot against spin, he is very good at hitting over long-on, long-off, even square.
“Then, against the pace, there is the scoop and reverse paddle or punch down the ground for six. He has everything.”
Ex-England skipper Morgan added: “I think Harry is one of our very best. It is difficult to find a player of recent generations that has Brook’s ability.
“He is coming into his peak years, yet we are seeing absolute genius time and time again in all formats of the game.”
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