Joe Root has named England team-mate Harry Brook as “the best player in the world”, while Sky Sports’ Michael Atherton believes it is “definitely” Root, so who is it?
Brook scored 123 off 115 balls against New Zealand England won by 323 runs in three days in Wellingtonrescuing the team from 43-4 on the first morning. It was his second consecutive century in this series, following his triple hundred on the last tour to Pakistan.
It’s form that has taken Brook to second in the Test batting charts, behind only Root, who hit his sixth Test ton on day three at Basin Reserve in 2024, 19th since 2021 and 36th of his career, seeing tied him with Rahul Dravid as the fifth all-time leading scorer in the game’s century.
Root for the best in the world? It certainly is
Asked if Root was the best player in the game at the moment in the world, Atherton answered emphatically in the affirmative.
“He is right now, for sure,” he said Sky Sports News. “19 Test hundreds since 2021, that’s 10 more than the next best (Kane Williamson).
“It’s incredible form. He’s playing quite nicely and at his absolute best.
“These runs here came from Brook’s hundred and earlier efforts from Jacob Bethell (96) and Ben Duckett (92), so they weren’t the hardest runs he’ll ever score, but you still have to go. Go out and get them, and Joe does that every day. He is incredibly consistent.
“He’s an incredible player. There are a lot of exciting young players in the team like Brook and Bethel, but Ruth is still the best in England.”
Brooke is “far and away” the best in the world, Root
Root, however, believes Brooke has taken that mantle away from him, hailing his pal as the best in the business.
Root’s 36th Test ton in Wellington saw him move level with Rahul Dravid for fifth all-time among the game’s most prolific century makers.
“If you ask me, Brooke is the best player in the world right now,” Root said.
“He has such a versatile game. he can absorb pressure, he can apply it, he can hit you for six, he can hit you for six, he can spin, he can seam.
“It’s so hard for him to dethrone the trophy.”
Brook’s brilliance took him to eight Test centuries in just 23 Tests for England and 38 innings, a pace bettered only by the great Dennis Compton, while his 2,280 runs in that span are unrivaled.
Man of the match Brooke scored a second consecutive century in the series to rescue England from 43-4 in the first innings.
His average of 61.62 is the third-highest in batting history to have played at least 20 innings behind the great Sir Don Bradman and Australia’s Adam Voges, while his average in away Tests jumps to an astonishing 91.50.
All that said, Brooke still believes Root is the man to beat.
“I’m trying to catch him, but he’s very good, isn’t he?”
“He’s got another hundred this week and he’s obviously one of the best players, if not the best, to ever play the game. He’s great to play with and he’s great to watch.
“I’ve only played 22 or 23 games, so that stat might go down soon. I’m just trying to be as good as I can, working on the nets and improving the awkward areas.”
Stokes hails ‘phenomenal’ Brook
Captain Ben Stokes praised a “phenomenal” Brook after his side were hammered by New Zealand in the second Test in Wellington.
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Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain reflected on Brook’s torrid first innings on the first day of the second Test against New Zealand.
“From 40 for four on the first day, to be sitting on the winning side here midway through the third day is pretty special,” Stokes said.
“In cricket parlance, that pitch was what we call a snake pit… it was doing a lot.
“Brooke is just phenomenal. Nobody has the right to come out and score 120 in that Dragon against the attack that New Zealand have.
“There are only a few players in the world who can go out and play the way he does and I’m delighted to have him in our team.”
