"I told him, I was like, 'Dude, I am gutted that I cannot work with you for a few months.' I think that he is a star... You do not hit one ball over extra cover and the next, same ball, over midwicket if you cannot play,' said Pietersen on the England batsman
Kevin Pietersen (Pic: File Pic)
Delhi Capitals (DC) mentor Kevin Pietersen has expressed disappointment over England batsman Harry Brook pulling out of the IPL 2025.
"I told him, I was like, 'Dude, I am gutted that I cannot work with you for a few months.' I think that he is a star... You do not hit one ball over extra cover and the next, same ball, over midwicket if you cannot play,' said Pietersen to ESPNCricinfo.
The former cricketer, however, also stated that Brook has technical flaws while facing spin in the subcontinent.
"So he can properly play, but he has technical flaws in the subcontinent, in India, in particular. I really wanted to work with him, but people make their own choices in life and you have got to respect them. He has a flaw playing spin in India, a real big flaw. Two months here, imagine what might have happened if he had fixed that," added the former England cricketer.
DC acquired Brook's services for Rs 6.25 crore in the mega auction, but the 26-year-old withdrew from IPL 2025. Later, the England Cricket Board (ECB) appointed him as the new white-ball captain of the national side. Brook replaced Jos Buttler after England's poor run in the ICC events.
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The right-handed batsman also skipped last year's edition, citing personal reasons. As per the IPL, Brook has now received a two-year ban from featuring in the cash-rich league.
Brook played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2023, scoring 190 runs in 11 matches at an average of 22.11. His only major knock was a century against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Brook's overall record in India includes 310 runs in 14 matches at an average of 22.14, with two half-centuries and a best of 66. This includes his performance in the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
Further, Pietersen praised Joe Root for turning out to be England's greatest player of spin. The 44-year-old said that he used to spend hours batting with Root in the nets.
"Root turned out to be the greatest player of spin England's ever had. I am not saying it is because of what we did when he was a youngster, but we spent hours together batting in the nets, going through drills and practising. I love that stuff," he added.
Pietersen has had an excellent record in India across all formats, scoring 1,876 runs in 36 matches at an average of 45.75, with three centuries and 13 fifties. His best score was 186 in a Test match in Mumbai in 2012.
Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals are currently in fifth place on the IPL 2025 points table with six wins and four losses. Their next match is against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Hyderabad on May 4.
(With ANI Inputs)
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