Brook vows to curb aggression after ‘shocking shots’ in Ashes series

England vice-captain Harry Brook has admitted he needs to temper his attacking approach against Australia after what he described as a series of “shocking shots” in the opening two Tests of the Ashes.

Brook, playing on his first Ashes tour, has made scores of 52, 0, 31 and 15 so far in the series. While his overall Test record remains outstanding — averaging 55.05 after 32 matches with a strike rate of 87.36 — his dismissals in Perth and Brisbane have drawn scrutiny. On both occasions, Brook edged ambitious drives to the wicketkeeper and slip cordon, conceding that his shot selection had let him down.

“It hasn’t been an ideal series,” Brook said after England trained at Adelaide Oval on Monday. “Sometimes I’ve got to rein it in a little bit — learn when to absorb the pressure more and recognise when the opportunity arises to put the pressure back on them. I don’t feel like I’ve identified those situations well enough.”

Brook explained that his aggression often stems from trying to counter-attack after early wickets fall, but admitted his execution has not matched his intentions. “So far in this series, my execution hasn’t been as good as it has been at the start of my career,” he said.

The 25-year-old was particularly critical of his shot selection in the first two Tests. “They were shocking shots. I’ll admit that every day of the week,” Brook said. “Especially the one in Perth — it was nearly a bouncer and I tried to drive it. That was just bad batting.”

Despite the criticism, Brook said he has remained insulated from outside noise by staying off social media, instead choosing to reflect privately on how he can improve. He stressed that while he does not regret his approach, he would look to adapt if faced with similar situations again.

Australia’s pace attack, led by Mitchell Starc, has tested Brook relentlessly, with wicketkeeper Alex Carey even standing up to the stumps in Brisbane to counter his use of footwork. Nevertheless, Brook suggested he would continue to look for ways to disrupt what he called a “highly-skilled” bowling unit.

“They very rarely miss,” he said. “You’ve got to try and create your own bad balls. That might be me running down, changing my guard or doing something different. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to them — they’ve bowled really well.”

England teammate Joe Root offered a strong endorsement of Brook, describing him as a “generational player” and backing him to make a decisive impact later in the series.

“He can kill teams with a whisper,” Root said on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast. “If he gets himself in and set, he’s going to do something very special. It’s a bit like Kevin Pietersen — he does things other players can’t.”

Brook also credited England’s mid-series break in Noosa with helping the squad reset after falling 2–0 behind. “We tried to stay away from cricket as much as possible,” he said. “We had a belting time, and hopefully that refreshment can help us going into this game.”

England will be hoping Brook’s promise of greater restraint, combined with his natural flair, pays dividends in the third Test in Adelaide as they attempt to revive their Ashes campaign.