England batter Harry Brook rejected his selection as Player of the Series by India head coach Gautam Gambhir, insisting that Joe Root should have received the honour instead.
Brook scored 481 runs at an average of 53.44 across the five-Test series, including a fluent 111 at The Oval on the final day, but said Root’s consistent contributions made him the more deserving candidate.
“I didn’t score as many runs as Rooty (Joe Root), so I probably think he should be Man of the Series or Man of the Summer,” Brook said. “He has been for many years.”
There are two Player of the Series awards given in England and the recipients are selected by the opposition coaches. England head coach Brendon McCullum picked India captain Shubman Gill while Gambhir named Brook as England’s standout player after the series ended 2-2, following India’s dramatic six-run win in the fifth Test. Brook’s attacking hundred on the final day had put England on the brink of a record chase, but his dismissal sparked a collapse that saw the hosts lose 7 for 66.
Root, who also scored a century at the Oval but was dismissed moments after Brook, ended up England’s highest run-getter of the series with 537 runs in five Tests at an average of 67.
Harry Brook says Player of the Series should’ve been Root and not him as selected by Gautam Gambhir
Reflecting on the match, Brook admitted he believed England were on course for victory when he and Root were batting together.
“My thought process was just to try and hit as many runs as quick as possible,” he said at the post-match presentation. “The game’s done if we need 40 runs with me and Rooty in there. If I get out there, the game’s still done. Obviously, it didn’t work.”
He added to BBC’s Test Match Special: “At the time, I was very confident. If I’d got a quick 30 in the next couple of overs, then the game is done. That was my thought process. I always try and take the game on and put them under pressure… I wish I was there at the end.”
Brook’s dismissal, attempting to hit Akash Deep over extra cover, handed India a crucial opening on the final morning. Despite the setback, he remained proud of his contributions throughout the series.
“I’ve played all right,” he said. “I could have won that game yesterday, which is devastating, but I’m just happy to contribute to as many games as I can.”
Brook now shifts his focus to the white-ball season, beginning with captaining Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, before leading England in limited-overs series against South Africa and Ireland.
“My first game is on Thursday, so it’s a fairly quick turnaround,” he said. “There’s a lot of cricket to be played… hopefully, everybody stays fit and we’ll be raring to go.”
