IND vs ENG: Harry Brook missing Test series will be major blow to England’s chances, says Kevin Pietersen

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has said that batter Harry Brook missing the five-match Test series against India will be a major blow for England.

The two sides are set to clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad for the first match of the series on January 25.

IND vs ENG Test Series: Full Schedule

The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed on Sunday, January 21 that Brook would be missing the Test series against India due to personal reasons. England said they will announce a replacement for Harry Brook in the coming days.

Pietersen took to social media platform ‘X’ to say that Brook is an absolute star and his omission will be a big blow for England. Brook has become a staple in England’s Test team under Ben Stokes, scoring 1,181 runs in 12 matches at an average of 62.15 while smashing seven fifties and four hundreds.

“Crickey, I hope alls ok with Harry Brook and his family, first and foremost! Secondly, that’s a major blow to England’s chances, because under Baz, Harry is an absolute STAR!,” Pietersen posted on ‘X’.

ECB released a statement on social media platforms, confirming Brook’s omission while calling for privacy for him and his family. This will be England’s second Test series in the third World Test Championship cycle, having held Australia to a 2-2 draw in the 2023 Ashes.

“The Brook family respectfully requests privacy during this time. In light of this, the ECB and the family kindly request the media and the public to respect their wish for privacy and refrain from intruding on their private space,” the ECB said.

England lost their last two Test series in India, being defeated 0-4 in 2016/17 before losing 1-3 in 2020/21. However, they did get the better of India in a four-match Test series in 2012/13, beating the hosts 2-1.

ENGLAND SQUAD FOR INDIA TESTS

Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Shoaib Bashir, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.