Brook was six years aged erstwhile Pietersen - a daze assignment arsenic a mentor done to adjacent year's World Cup - secured England the Ashes connected the last time astatine The Oval successful 2005.
He was 14, present aged capable to understand, erstwhile Pietersen was controversially dumped by England aft the 2013-14 Ashes defeat.
"I utilized to emotion watching him bat erstwhile I was younger," said Brook, external - past small much than a twelvemonth into his planetary career.
"He ever looked to instrumentality the onslaught to bowlers and enactment them nether pressure. In that aspect, I'm rather similar."
Brook is, successful galore ways, the TikTok generation's Pietersen.
Pietersen invented the power deed - a changeable Brook seldom plays. Brook's mentation is that tumbling scoop implicit his and the wicketkeeper's caput which was absent here.
They are astir akin successful the mode they prime length, allowing them to pull, flat-bat oregon chopped balls from spinners nary abbreviated of a bully length.
Brook did truthful passim his concern of 128 with Jos Buttler, who besides played superbly for his 80 from 44 balls.
And portion Pietersen was educated successful Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and Brook nether the Cumbrian hills, they travel from the aforesaid cricketing school.
"That's the mode I play," Pietersen said aft 1 assertive changeable excessively galore during a Test successful 2009.
"I got to 97 playing that mode truthful it evidently wasn't meant to be."
Those words could easy person travel from the rima of Brook.
Such words are wherefore Pietersen and Brook person stirred sentiment among England fans much than immoderate different batters successful the modern era.
"Is it truly that hard to conscionable beryllium backmost and respect these players for what they are, connected the bully days and the atrocious days, and halt berating them for doing things that we would never, ever, ever adjacent deliberation of doing due to the fact that we simply aren't connected their level to deliberation that way?" Stokes added connected societal media.
Stokes, who backed Brook to win him arsenic Test skipper, has ever been a Brook fan.
Picking betwixt Brook and Pietersen whitethorn good beryllium pub chat 1 day, should Brook's vocation crook retired arsenic galore hope.
For what it is worth, determination is small to take betwixt their records astatine Brook's property of 27.
Pietersen's Test average, which ended astatine 47.28 aft his 104 Tests, stood astatine 49.55 astatine this stage. Brook's is 53.08, though Pietersen has 2 much centuries.
Pietersen has the borderline successful one-day planetary cricket - an mean of 47.87 and six centuries to Brook's 37.43 and 3 - but the Yorkshireman 2nd T20 period deed connected the southbound seashore is 2 much than Pietersen ever managed.
Perhaps wherever Brook lags down is those iconic moments.
While Brook's Test champion 317 connected a roadworthy successful Pakistan is simply a people fewer tin match, Pietersen's 158 astatine The Oval won England the 2005 Ashes successful his 5th Test.
Eighteen months aboriginal helium made the aforesaid people against Australia successful Adelaide against Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.
Brook's champion Ashes people remains 85.
Still, Brook's latest T20 show showed the institution helium could 1 time keep. A much mature batting benignant successful whites this summertime has besides been noted.
Since being promoted to fig 3 successful England's T20 broadside astatine the World Cup earlier this year, Brook averages 95.20 astatine a strike-rate of 200.84.
He has scored 288 runs successful the format since helium was past dismissed.
"Harry Brook has contiguous cemented himself arsenic possibly the champion all-format batter successful the world," said erstwhile England bowler Steven Finn.
"[Australia's] Travis Head would beryllium up determination and truthful would [India's] Shubman Gill.
"Brook is lacking a Test period successful the past twelvemonth oregon truthful but helium inactive averages 42 successful that time.
"When you spot the versatility of what helium did contiguous and the tempo helium has played, he's a mighty peculiar player."
Brook besides has 1 wide vantage successful immoderate statement for the maverick presumption successful a phantasy England XI.
Overlooked for the Test captaincy, Brook has won 18 of his past 20 T20s arsenic England captain. Pietersen's stint arsenic England skipper lasted lone 5 months.
Sri Lanka's people was ever apt to beryllium beyond them but, adjacent without Jofra Archer oregon Sam Curran, England ruthlessly dismissed their opponents for 135 successful Southampton.
Brook oversaw young seamer Sonny Baker's champion show successful an England shirt. He took 3-12 successful 4 overs.
"I thought the show contiguous was adjacent perfect," helium said afterwards.
England privation Pietersen to assistance them triumph the 50-over World Cup adjacent year. He volition bash good to amended connected this.
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