Harry Brook sends bullish message to Australia’s bowlers ahead of the Ashes

Ever since Harry Brook faced the hardly hostile bowling of his grandmother in her back garden he has been dreaming of the moment that will come on Friday at Edgbaston.

An Ashes debut in just his third home Test is the fulfilment of an ambition Brook has had ever since he took those first cricketing steps as a toddler in Burley in Wharfedale.

‘This is absolutely a childhood dream,’ said the man who has taken international cricket by storm over the last six months. ‘To play in my first Ashes. My dad always said as soon as I could talk I would say I wanted to play for England. And here I am now.

‘I’ve actually been watching a few old videos of my grandma throwing some balls at me. There were some shockers. I’ve never had any throws as bad as that in my life!’

That dream was inspired, like so many of Brook’s generation, by the 2005 Ashes, including ‘the greatest Test’ at this same English fortress of an Edgbaston ground.

Batsman Harry Brook spoke ahead of England’s Ashes opener at Edgbaston on Friday

‘That series was the big one,’ continued Brook. ‘I always remember the over Andrew Flintoff bowled to Ricky Ponting here. And then KP smacking it everywhere against Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath and those boys. They were my earliest memories.’

Now Brook can try to emulate Kevin Pietersen and smack the modern Australia around after a ‘whirlwind’ introduction that has seen him smash four hundreds in his first seven Tests, all in that ultra-positive Bazball style, average 81.80 and make his runs at a staggering scoring rate of 99.03 per hundred balls.

It is the young Yorkshireman’s turn now to inspire a generation as part of England’s near evangelical plan to save Test cricket. ‘That’s the aim,’ he said in his no-nonsense, confident, matter of fact manner. ‘I’m going to go out there and try to play the same way I have been for the last 12 months. Hopefully that will be enough to inspire a few.’

brook says that playing in the Ashes is something he has dreamt of since he was a child 

The extraordinary beginning to a career that has also seen the 24-year-old become a Twenty20 World Cup winner and earn a £1.3 million IPL deal with Sunrisers Hyderabad has taken even Brook by surprise.

‘I probably wasn’t thinking I was going to have this start but I’d take it every day of the week,’ he smiled. ‘The last six months in particular have been a whirlwind. It was the best winter I could have asked for and long may it continue.

‘Now I’m looking forward to this. Australia are one of the best teams in the world and are coming here off the back of a World Championship win. I’ve always wanted to play against the best and see how good I really am. Not that I’m really bothered who’s bowling at me. They’re good but it’s just another cricket ball coming down at me.’

There is one big test left for Brook to face and it will come in the form of high quality, fast short-pitched bowling, the like of which he did not really encounter while conquering both Pakistan and New Zealand. But he is ready for whatever Pat Cummins and company throw at him – even if it is quite a step up from Granny Pauline in her garden.

‘We got a fair bit of short stuff in New Zealand to be fair and I feel like I combated it quite well,’ Brook added. ‘Obviously Australia might have a bit of extra pace but if they bowl quicker it tends to go to the boundary quicker.’

Australia have been warned.

Brooks has always wanted to test himself against the best and see how good he really is