As the cricketing world looks towards the next Ashes series in Australia, the narrative has shifted in a way few would have predicted a couple of years ago. England, under the bold and transformative leadership of Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, are not just rebuilding, they are surging ahead with a team that looks equipped to dominate for a generation.
Central to this optimism is the emergence of Harry Brook, a batting sensation whose performances and approach I compare to the great Sachin Tendulkar. Remarkably, Brook’s early career stats suggest he might even have outpaced the Indian maestro in terms of impact at the same stage.
At just 25, Brook has rapidly become one of the most talked-about cricketers in the world. He boasts a simple but devastatingly effective batting method. Much like Tendulkar in his early years, Brook doesn’t move excessively in the crease before the ball is delivered. His stability and minimalistic technique allow him to read the angles of the bowler and adjust his strokes with precision. The result? An extraordinary ability to score from most deliveries, whether they’re pitched full, short or on an awkward length.
Tendulkar’s early brilliance lay in his ability to use the bowler’s pace to his advantage, scoring heavily on both sides of the wicket. Brook, though a bigger and more powerful player physically, has a strikingly similar ability to manipulate the field with wristy flicks, crunching drives, and punishing back-foot shots.
It’s a simple method, but simplicity often breeds greatness.
Comparing their first 15 Tests reveals an eye-opening narrative. Tendulkar scored 837 runs at an average of just under 40, with a couple of centuries. Brook, in contrast, had made 1378 runs at an average of nearly 60, with five hundreds. To be fair, Sachin was still a teenager while Brook is in his mid-20s.
Brook’s ability to combine aggression with consistency makes him a nightmare for bowlers because, much like Tendulkar, he’s incredibly hard to contain. For England, he’s not just a bright prospect, he’s a player around whom their future could be built.
Harry Brook bats during the Headingley Test in the 2023 Ashes series.Credit: Getty Images
But England’s newfound confidence isn’t founded solely on Brook’s talent. The team’s rebuild has been deliberate, forward-thinking, and highly effective. Under Stokes and McCullum, the focus has shifted from cautious consolidation to fearless expression. England are no longer playing to survive, they’re playing to win, and they’re building a team capable of sustaining success for years to come.
Consider the mix of players stepping into key roles. Joe Root, the senior statesman of the side, continues to churn out runs and tons with a serene calm that belies the frenetic energy around him. In the annals of batting, he is in rarefied air.
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, both relatively young, have shown flashes of brilliance at the top of the order, while Ollie Pope has established himself as a reliable anchor at No.3. Jacob Bethell and Jamie Smith complete the new-look England batting line-up.
Sam Konstas hits a boundary against India at the SCG. Credit: AP
In the bowling department, the rejuvenation is equally evident. Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson, both in their late 20s, are emerging as serious options, combining raw pace with the ability to exploit even the flattest tracks. Add the reliable Matthew Potts into the mix, and England’s pace arsenal looks as sharp and varied as it has in decades. The incisive pair of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer are being kept in cotton wool and are likely to be unleashed in Australia as enforcers.
Crucially, this rebuild isn’t just about talent, it’s about a mindset shift. England’s players, regardless of experience, are encouraged to embrace risk and take the game to the opposition. The result is a team that doesn’t fear failure, but thrives on pressure.
Australia, by contrast, appear to be clinging to an ageing core. While the likes of Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, and Mitchell Starc remain world-class performers, the next generation of Australian cricketers hasn’t quite stepped up. Josh Hazlewood’s recurrent injuries telegraph the vulnerability of our pace attack, while the middle-order batting relies heavily on Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Travis Head.
Australia’s batting lacks youthful exuberance, with few players in their 20s knocking on the selectors’ door. Sam Konstas has shown promise, but there’s little evidence to suggest Australia have the same depth of young talent as England. The upcoming tour of Sri Lanka and the World Test Championship final will be critical opportunities for Australia to address this imbalance.
However, whether they can build momentum in time for the Ashes remains to be seen. The return of a fit Cameron Green can change the look of the Australian team significantly.
Ever since Douglas Jardine unleashed Harold Larwood in the Bodyline series in 1932-33, Ashes contests have largely been defined by the fast bowlers.
England’s ability to unearth and develop a new generation of pacemen gives them a significant edge.
Under Stokes, England play with an infectious swagger. They don’t just aim to win, they aim to dominate. This attitude, coupled with McCullum’s aggressive philosophies, has allowed England to forge a fearless and entertaining team identity.
Brook embodies this new ethos: he bats with a sense of inevitability. Bowlers know he’ll score, but they don’t know how to stop him. This psychological edge cannot be overstated. By the time Brook walks to the crease, the fielding side is already under pressure.
The contrast between England and Australia couldn’t be starker: England’s rebuild has unearthed a generation of players ready to make their mark. Australia, on the other hand, are struggling to unearth the young talent that we know re-energises a squad.
We are struggling because we made a catastrophic decision some years ago to dismantle a world leading high-performance system that was doing a fantastic job of throwing up new talent. The states have been entrusted with a job for which they are ill-equipped. The states do a great job of identifying the best young players within their boundaries to play first-class cricket, but it is Cricket Australia’s job to produce players to represent Australia.
It is proven that talent develops in a hot-bed environment where the best young players learn as much from each other as they do from coaches and more from playing meaningful games under pressure than from a million throw-downs far removed from the reality of match situations.
Our talent pool is much shallower than that of India or England, so we can’t afford to waste a single player. State coaches are employed to win silverware so, understandably, they choose experience over talent nearly every time, which means that young players are missing the challenges they need at the critical time in their development to allow them to become the marquee players that we need.
By the time we realise that this system is not working, we will have set ourselves back 10 years. England have every reason to feel confident. They are no longer in the shadow of the great Australian sides of the past; they are leading a new era of cricket. With a team built for the future and a fearless approach to the game, England head to Australia not just hoping to compete but expecting to win.
For Australia, the challenge is clear: adapt or risk being left behind. The Ashes have always been a battle of skill, nerve, and mindset. On current form, England appear to hold the edge. The stage is set for a humdinger of a series that could redefine the balance of power in world cricket.
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