‘fun Not To Be Nice Guys Any More’: Harry Brook On England’s New Attitude

Harry Brook has said that England’s triumph successful nan 3rd Test against India taught them that “you don’t ever person to beryllium nice”, and ended a play of respective years successful which they person tended to beryllium overly friendly. That clip came to an extremity midway done their past crippled – conscionable days aft their coach, Brendon McCullum, told them they could beryllium a spot meaner – erstwhile they seized connected “a awesome opportunity to spell difficult astatine them” and “tried to create a spot of niggle”.

Brook said that during nan break betwixt nan conclusion of that crippled and nan team’s reunion successful Manchester for nan penultimate lucifer of nan series, which starts connected Wednesday, he had received “loads of compliments” astir nan play created by nan outbreak of hostility astatine Lord’s. “Everyone said it was awesome to watch,” Brook said. “It was bully fun, I person to admit. It made fielding a batch much enjoyable.”

Zak Crawley’s timewasting astatine nan extremity of nan 3rd time infuriated India, which successful move pushed nan remainder of nan England broadside into action. “Everybody saw them guys get stuck into Creeps [Crawley] and Ducky [Ben Duckett],” Brook said. “We conscionable thought: ‘We’re not having that.’ So we each piled into them. A fewer days earlier Baz said sometimes we are a spot excessively nice. [So] we had a speech and said: ‘It’s clip to not beryllium those bully guys that we person been before.’

“You don’t ever person to beryllium nice. We tried to create a spot of niggle. We weren’t being personal, we weren’t being nasty, we were conscionable putting them nether much pressure. We were doing it wrong nan tone of nan game. We weren’t retired location effing and jeffing astatine them and being nasty people. We were going astir it successful nan correct manner.”

India’s Mohammed Siraj, who was fined 15% of his lucifer interest for his fierce guidance to nan dismissal of Duckett connected nan greeting of time four, said he plans to proceed on akin lines this week.

“When you’re successful nan infinitesimal and a batsman is playing well, sometimes you opportunity thing to get into his head,” he said. “I deliberation players request sledging sometimes. It tin disrupt a batter’s concentration. As a accelerated bowler, it’s nosy erstwhile those mind games happen.”

With doubts complete nan readiness of different seamer, Akash Deep, owing to a groin injury, India are expected to section Jasprit Bumrah astatine Old Trafford now alternatively than clasp him backmost for adjacent week’s last Test astatine nan Oval pinch nan 31-year-old only reportedly capable to play 3 of nan 5 Tests successful nan series.

After nan Lord’s Test, England were punished for their slow complete rates, and though Brook said nan taxable had not been discussed by nan squad he admitted improvements could beryllium made. “I deliberation location were 75 overs successful a time past week, which is beautiful poor,” he said. “You’re losing 15 overs a time – you tin vessel a broadside retired successful 15 overs. I deliberation that was some teams, if I’m being honest. We tin beryllium quicker, they tin decidedly beryllium quicker astatine stages. In my opinion, erstwhile they’re batting it affects america a batch because they’re ever changing their gloves aliases getting curen aliases whatever. There’s sewage to beryllium thing hap there.”

England were joined astatine Old Trafford connected Monday by nan erstwhile All Blacks intelligence skills coach Gilbert Enoka. Enoka, a friend of McCullum’s, has besides worked pinch elite sides successful respective sports and nations including a spell astatine Chelsea successful 2023, and is celebrated for instigating a “no dickheads” argumentation while helping nan All Blacks to 2 World Cup wins. He did immoderate activity pinch nan England squad astatine nan commencement of nan summertime and will beryllium pinch them for nan adjacent fewer days connected a consultancy basis.