Brook thrives at No 3 as McCullum's 'mastermind' move pays off

Pallekele, Tuesday night: the moment England’s T20 World Cup campaign tilted from precarious to promising arrived in the space of 50 electrifying deliveries from Harry Brook, promoted to No 3 on the say-so of head coach Brendon McCullum and vindicating every whisper that England’s best batter should face as many balls as possible.

McCullum’s call, revealed to Brook only on the morning of the must-win group-stage clash against Pakistan, was neither radical nor reckless. It was, as Moeen Ali noted afterwards, “common-sense cricket”: get your premier player in early, let him negotiate the powerplay, then weaponise him against spin through the middle. Brook had batted exclusively at No 5 in T20Is during 2026; by stumps he had re-written both his personal ledger and England’s tournament trajectory.

The skipper arrived at the crease second ball after Phil Salt’s golden duck, immediately clattering Salman Mirza for four and six in the same over. From there he dissected a varied Pakistan attack—pace, then a carousel of spinners—using decisive footwork that alternately pressed to the pitch or retreated deep into the crease. Ten fours and four sixes flowed, many of them against the turning ball, as Brook turned ones into twos on Pallekele’s vast outfield and never let the required rate breathe.

The milestone moment came in the 18th over: a lofted drive off Shaheen Shah Afridi to bring up a maiden T20I hundred. One ball later he perished to a slower-ball variation, but not before the handshake from Shaheen that spoke of grudging admiration. Brook’s 100 arrived at a strike-rate of 200; crucially, said Will Jacks, “it never felt like he chased the game.”

Jacks, who added 52 from 31 balls alongside his captain, hailed the innings as leadership by example. “He had the extra responsibility and got a hundred straight away. He is our best batter and should face as many balls as possible.”

Moeen, an early advocate for the promotion, believes bigger scores await. “If he bats at No 3 in T20s, he will get 130s, 150s. He plays spin better after facing seam early on and just puts pressure on bowlers. Some of the shots against spin were unbelievable.”

Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha could only concur. “Whenever we play England and we lose, it’s always Brook,” he sighed, citing a Test average of 84.10 against his side and a fresh T20 mark of 62.66 after Tuesday’s whirlwind.

The two-wicket win sealed England’s sixth consecutive T20 victory over Pakistan and, more importantly, propelled them into Friday’s semi-final against New Zealand. McCullum, maligned for Ashes gambles gone awry, can savour a gamble that paid off in full. As Brook put it simply: “Baz was the mastermind there.”

With Jos Buttler searching for fluency at the top and Jacks flourishing as a finisher, England’s batting order suddenly looks settled around its newly anointed No 3. If Tuesday’s exhibition is any guide, Harry Brook’s upward shuffle may yet prove the shrewdest move of this World Cup.