Ben Stokes may no longer be part of the England squad, but his opinions about current and former players still carry weight. Recently, he praised Harry Brook, a young batting prodigy, while comparing him to the former star Kevin "KP" Pietersen. Many observers already see Brook as the modern incarnation of Pietersen. Both are capable of dismantling any attack, making seemingly impossible shots look effortless, and occasionally producing baffling dismissals that leave fans shaking their heads.
Brook’s recent performance in Southampton highlighted his extraordinary talent. He smashed a rapid 100 off just 42 balls, the second‑fastest T20I century for England, featuring ten fours and six sixes, including a spectacular over where he struck six boundaries off Sri Lankan bowler Dunith Wellalage. The innings was witnessed by Pietersen himself, who now works alongside head coach Brendon McCullum as a white‑ball mentor, a role that will extend through the upcoming 50‑over World Cup in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe in late 2027. After watching Brook’s on‑fire display, Stokes took to social media to declare that, in his view, Brook’s raw ability surpasses that of Pietersen.
Stokes, who was batting for Durham against Worcestershire in the County Championship that same day, posted: "I don't even think the genius of KP could come close to what Brook has talent‑wise. You are an absolute freak, Harry.
You're mint to watch." He later added, "Bit harsh on KP actually. Both are freak talents but Brook is better in my opinion." The debate now hinges on which player is more naturally gifted. Readers are invited to vote in the poll below.
While Brook’s talent is undeniable, his career longevity still trails that of Pietersen. KP amassed nearly 14,000 international runs between 2004 and 2014 before a dispute with the ECB cut his England tenure short.
Brook, who debuted in 2022, has already accumulated over 6,500 runs. If he remains fit and continues to play, he could eventually eclipse Pietersen’s total.
At 27, Brook still has potentially a decade or more of top‑level cricket ahead. He has expressed a desire to learn from Pietersen, hoping the veteran’s experience will refine his own game across both limited‑overs and Test formats. Speaking about Pietersen after watching highlights of his past innings, Brook said: "He looked at batting slightly differently, in a similar way to me as well. He always wants to put the bowlers under pressure.
He was a phenomenal player. The way he accessed different areas of the ground made it really tricky to captain and bowl to, and I'm looking forward to conversations about that.
I mentioned to him earlier about trying to help me read surfaces and using my skills to perform on that pitch as well, not just for white‑ball cricket, Test cricket as well. Hopefully he can have a big impact on my career. He's a hero to a lot of players.
We grew up watching him and it's just awesome to have a man of his calibre in the changing room." Brook’s century against Sri Lanka was his first international ton since a T20 hundred versus Pakistan in February at the World Cup match in Pallekele. The long wait was rewarded; his ability to gauge length and timing was praised by Sky Sports analysts Eoin Morgan and Kumar Sangakkara. Sangakkara noted, "He reads length so quickly.
He is very light and nimble on his feet. He has oodles of time and devastating power.
On the back foot against spin, he is very good at hitting over long‑on, long‑off, even square. Then against the pace there is the scoop and reverse paddle or punch down the ground for six.
He has everything." Morgan added, "I think Harry is one of our very best. It is difficult to find a player of recent generations that has Brook's ability. He is coming into his peak years, yet we are seeing absolute genius time and time again in all formats of the game." Indeed, Brook’s versatility extends beyond the shortest format. Although his last Test hundred came over a year ago against India at The Kia Oval, he has recently adopted a more disciplined approach in red‑ball cricket, registering five fifties throughout the summer and showing greater temperament.
In the T20 arena, his explosive hundred against Sri Lanka demonstrated that he can dominate both formats, and now he can discuss his achievements with Pietersen—perhaps even argue that he possesses greater natural talent. Fans can catch England’s second T20 clash with Sri Lanka live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event, starting at 6 pm (first ball at 6:30 pm) on Thursday.
All times are UK and Ireland. The broadcast is part of Sky Sports' latest deals, with streaming options available via NOW without a contract.