Yorkshire CCC: ‘Brilliant’ Ben Stokes right man to replace Joe Root, says Harry Brook

Brook was disappointed to see Root depart after a five-year spell in which he achieved more Test wins (27) than any of his predecessors.

Brook played twice under Stokes for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred last summer and hopes one day to play under him in the Test team too.

That could happen sooner rather than later after Brook passed 500 runs for the season at the weekend and he feels Stokes will make a success of the job.

“Obviously it’s upsetting that Rooty has had to drop down, but I think Stokesy is going to be the right man for the job,” said Brook. “I haven’t spent that much time around him so I don’t know him too well, but obviously he’s one of the best in the world, so why not?

“Some of the stuff that he’s done over the past few years has been phenomenal really. Leading by example is probably the right term – he’s a brilliant cricketer.”

Brook, 23, is sensibly dead-batting talk of an England call-up, which has only increased with his early-season form. He has started the County Championship campaign with successive scores of 101, 56 not out, 84, 77 not out and 194, the latter innings, a career-best effort against Kent at Headingley on Saturday, watched by England selector James Taylor.

“I’m not thinking about it (England) at all,” said Brook, who made his England debut in a T20 international against the West Indies in Barbados in March, a match in which Stokes did not play. “I just want to try and score as many runs as I can for Yorkshire and what will be will be. I’ve looked towards bigger things too much in the past and it’s made me not perform as well as I could, so I’m just trying to stay in the moment and score runs for whoever I’m playing. I used to beat myself up a lot when I was a bit younger if I’d had a bad day and hadn’t scored as many runs as I’d have wanted, so I’m trying to play without fear and appreciate that it’s just a game.”

Of his current form, Brook added: “I’m technically better, I think, this year and more mature. I’ve played a fair bit of cricket now and I’m a lot more experienced, and I’m playing situations better. It’s just about being consistent now and trying to pile on as many runs as I can.”