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According to Harry Brook, his summertime performances are a tribute to his late grandmother Pauline, who died in March.
Pauline Brook became a cult hero in English cricket and was prominent throughout her grandson’s career. She frequently accepted honours on Harry’s behalf; in the player’s brief career, he has already won numerous trophies. She was the head of the Brook household and resided close to the cricket club in Burley-in-Wharfedale, where Harry picked up the game.
While Brook was getting ready for England’s Test series of India in the United Arab Emirates in January, Pauline became unwell. After her death, the 25-year-old withdrew from the five-game series and missed the Indian Premier League with the Delhi Capitals.
Since then, Brook has been playing for Yorkshire. In his first game back for the county since July 2022, he scored an emotional century against Leicestershire off 69 balls, raising his arms in the air when he reached three figures. Since England’s fifth Twenty20 International against the West Indies in December, it was his first competitive appearance. Against Derbyshire on Saturday at Headingley, Yorkshire amassed 450 for 5 declared in their opening innings before scoring a second century (126 not out).
“Both of those hundreds [for Yorkshire this season] and all of the runs I’ve scored so far this year are all dedicated to her,” Brook told the ECB Reporters Network.
“When I came home from Abu Dhabi, it was a very tough time, and I’m glad I did come home. Obviously, it was a big decision to make. I hadn’t played hundreds of games for England, so to just turn down a big Test tour like that [India] was a big decision to make.
“But she comes before all of that. She would have come out there a couple of years ago, so I had to come back and support her as much as I could. I managed to take her out for a coffee and whatnot in that first week I was back.
“I was still training with a mindset of trying to get back out for the last couple of Tests, all being well. It all disintegrated fairly quickly, so that didn’t happen. I just tried to support her as best as I could and everyone around us.”