T20 World Cup: Former England captain Michael Vaughan implores 'genius' Harry Brook to rise to the occasion

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has urged “genius” white-ball captain Harry Brook to rise to the occasion for his country at the T20 World Cup.

The Yorkshireman started the T20 World Cup with a fifty against Nepal but has failed to reach 20 in his last three knocks, despite 10 tons in 25 non-Ashes matches including a stunning 136* off 65 against England’s opponents on Saturday.

“That innings he played in Sri Lanka, he’s just got a genius in him,” Vaughan said on the Stick to Cricket podcast. “The one thing I say about Harry Brook, if you look at his career so far, he’s played some incredible knocks, but it’s been away from what I call the showcase.

“The showcase in cricket for me is an Ashes series. Have you done it in a big Ashes series when it really matters? Harry Brook is yet to have done that.

“Harry hasn’t played many World Cups, but this is his moment. These next two weeks, the Super 8s, go and deliver an 80 or 100 in a big, big game.”

Buttler: I won’t bat for myself to correct form

Captain Brook’s struggles have been amplified due to the recent struggles of opener Jos Buttler.

The usually ever-reliable Buttler is widely regarded as England’s greatest-ever white-ball cricketer but has failed to make a single fifty in 14 international innings this winter, with a top-score of 39 across ODIs and T20s.

T20 is one of those games that asks you to keep making plays,” Buttler said on the For the Love of Cricket podcast.

“There’s times where you’ve maybe been out of form in a Test match, with the batting coach, who might say ‘just rein it in for a bit and try to bat for an hour and it will come back to you’.”

Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain encouraged Buttler to get into an innings in order to recapture form – but the England wicketkeeper was quick to assert that quick scoring is the priority in T20 games.

“In T20s, you’ve got to keep playing the scoreboard, if you’re chasing 10 an over you’ve got to play accordingly.

“I saw Nasser say ‘just bat for 15 overs’ and I would love to just bat for 15 overs but I don’t want to bat for 15 overs just for myself and ignore the game.

“I’ve been through lots of patches of poor form over 15 years in all different formats, it’s always the same things you come back to at the end which is stand still, watch the ball and trust yourself.

The only person who can score my runs is myself. I’m not going to score them by hiding away or sending anyone else out, I’ve got to put my own shirt on, mark middle and off we go again. It always comes back at some point so looking forward to the next opportunity.”

Bethell: No one is worried about Buttler’s form

England No 3 batter Jacob Bethell insisted nobody is doubting Buttler and he is convinced his team-mate will put together an innings of substance when it matters most over the next couple of weeks.

“He’s fine,” Bethell said. “The options he has taken haven’t come off but no one in that side is worried about Jos in terms of performance.

“He will come good when we need him in the in the big stages of this tournament.”

Bethell’s confidence extends from Buttler to the rest of the team, for whom he says the tournament is only just getting started.

“I think everyone had the same mindset of the main thing is just to get through to the Super 8s and now we’re here, the proper competition starts,”Bethell said.

“We’ve got certain people that have done OK and well enough. But I think it’s definitely lit a fire in all of us to really go in there and put in some proper performances.”

Watch every game from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup live on Sky Sports Cricket, including the competition final on Sunday March 8. Get Sky Sports or stream contract-free with NOW.

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