England cricket team batter Dawid Malan believes that undue pressure was placed on youngster Harry Brook’s shoulders during the World Cup 2023, almost expecting him to be the savior of English cricket.
Brook’s inclusion in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 squad came as a surprise on September 17, 2023, when he replaced the experienced opener Jason Roy due to back spasms.
Despite initial skepticism about Brook’s selection, given his less-than-impressive performances in the ODIs leading up to the World Cup, the young player’s stint in the tournament didn’t unfold as anticipated. With modest scores of 25, 2, and 10 in the ODI series preceding the World Cup, Brook struggled to make an impact during the tournament, accumulating only 139 runs in five matches at an average of 27.8 as England faced disappointment.
Addressing the issue at a pre-match press conference, Malan expressed empathy for Brook, emphasizing that the young batter is still in the learning phase and adapting to international cricket.
Malan expressed hope that Brook, despite the challenges faced in the World Cup, will continue to grow, aiming for a future where he plays 100 matches for England across all formats while learning from the lessons of the 2023 campaign.
Malan noted, “Harry Brook, yeah, he’s a young player, I really feel for him. I feel like there’s been so much pressure put on his shoulders, almost as if he was the savior of English cricket.”
