Being compared to Sachin Tendulkar is about the highest level of praise any batter could ever receive and that’s exactly what Greg Chappell sees in one England star.
Regarded as one of the greatest of all time, Tendulkar has scored more runs and more centuries than any other player in Test match history.
So, it should not be taken lightly when an Australian legend like Chappell makes such a big call.
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In an interview with cricket.com.au ahead of the first Ashes Test, the former Aussie skipper was quizzed about which English player he was excited to watch.
“For me, Harry Brook is the interesting one,” Chappell said.
Harry Brook celebrates a century against India Getty Images for Surrey CCC
“I’ve seen a bit of him on television, I’d like to see him live.
“He looks a really good player, his record suggests that he is a good player and he’s averaging 62 [57.55] in Test cricket so far, that’s a pretty impressive record.
“I’ve watched him bat on television and he reminds me very much of Sachin Tendulkar in Sachin’s early part of his career.
“Very minimal movement early on, picks off the angles really well and can score off most deliveries – there’s not many deliveries that he can’t score off.
“Australia has historically been a test for England batsmen to adapt the first time around and how he adapts will be interesting to watch.”
The 26-year-old has become perhaps the most exciting batter in world cricket over the past few years, bringing an aggressive style that has caused carnage at Test level.
Brook has amassed 2820 runs at an average of 57.55 in his 30 appearances, already blasting 10 Test centuries for his country.
His strike-rate sits in the high 80s, which places him in the upper echelon of that statistic and makes rival bowlers continually second-guess their plans to him.
Just over a year ago, Brook scored a triple-century against Pakistan, making him the first English player to achieve the rare feat since Graham Gooch in 1990.
It was also the second-fastest triple-century in Test cricket, coming from 310 balls.
The only query over Brook heading into this Ashes series, as pointed out by Chappell, is the fact it will mark the first time the right-hander will have played on Australian soil.
It has been the undoing for many English players over the years. Joe Root, as has been well documented in recent weeks, has never scored a Test century Down Under.
Joe Root Getty
In fact, the only current English player who has scored a ton in Australia is Ben Stokes.
The skipper’s maiden Test match century came in Perth back in the 2013/14 Ashes, but he has never reached that milestone in Aussie conditions again.
The pressure gauge of an away Ashes series reaches enormous levels and the proof is in the pudding, given the fact England haven’t won a series here since 2010/11.
But if anyone can face it head-on in their first attempt, Brook might be that man.