Ponting heaps praises on newly crowned number one Test batter Brook, calls him "generational player"

Brook surpassed Joe Root on Wednesday to claim the top spot in the latest ICC Men's Test Batter Rankings. His rise to the summit follows a series of extraordinary performances on foreign soil, including a triple century in Pakistan and multiple big scores during the ongoing three-Test tour of New Zealand.

Ponting asserted that Brook's ascent to the number one ranking is well-earned. The England batter scored his eighth Test century in a commanding 323-run victory over New Zealand in Wellington last week.

While Root is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters of his generation, having amassed 36 Test centuries, Brook's stunning run of form has seen the 25-year-old reach the pinnacle of the rankings, challenging his compatriot for the title of the world's best batter.

Ponting discussed Brook's rise with host Sanjana Ganesan on the latest episode of The ICC Review. The Australian legend highlighted Brook's impressive performances away from home as a distinguishing factor among elite players.

Brook averages an impressive 89.35 in Tests played away from home, compared to 38.05 on home soil. Seven of his eight Test centuries have been scored outside England, a feat that underpins his rise to the top of the rankings.

In 23 Tests (10 of them away), Brook has scored 2,280 runs, including 1,519 runs on foreign pitches and 761 at home, at an average of 61.62 and a strike rate of 88.57. His career tally includes eight centuries and 10 fifties, with a personal best of 317.

In 2024 alone, Brook has amassed 1,099 runs in Tests at an average of 61.05, with four centuries and three fifties in 18 innings, and a best score of 317.

"He probably is the best Test batter in the world right now," Ponting said of Brook, as quoted by ICC. "He's doing some pretty amazing things, most of them away from home."

Ponting praised Brook's scoring ability under the leadership of skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum. "That's his seventh hundred away from home out of eight or nine hundreds, and it's the way he gets his runs--with class, and he does it quickly. I love watching him play," he added.

Brook made his Test debut against South Africa at The Oval in 2022 and notched his first century in December that year with a brilliant 153 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. Performances like these immediately caught Ponting's attention.

As coach of the Delhi Capitals, Ponting spent Rs 4 crore at the 2023 IPL auction to secure Brook's services. Although Brook opted out of the IPL in 2024 due to a family issue, Ponting remains a staunch supporter of the world's top-ranked Test batter, believing in his potential across formats.

"I got him in the IPL auction last year because I think he is a generational type of player," Ponting said. "I think he's starting to show that now at Test level, and I believe he can do the same across all three formats," he concluded. (ANI)