Brook calls for braver England batting as openers search for spark

England captain Harry Brook has called for his team to bat with more bravery as they head into the Super 8s stage of the 2026 T20 World Cup against Sri Lanka.

"I feel like we've been slightly too careful with the bat and we can really look to put them under a little bit more pressure, especially with the batting depth that we got," said Brook.

England's progression has been unconvincing, with a significant issue at the top of the order. The collective strike rate of their top four is 141.6, ranking ninth among the 20 teams. The openers, Jos Buttler and Phil Salt, have managed only 114 runs combined at an average of 14.3—the third-lowest opening partnership in the tournament.

Buttler's highest score is 26, with two single-digit dismissals in four innings. Salt's best is 30, also with two low scores. This lack of early runs has pressured the middle order and stifled the team's usual aggressive intent.

Brook acknowledged the need for greater bravery: "I feel like we can probably be a bit more brave in certain situations… having more faith in the guys behind us."

Buttler's Lean Run
Jos Buttler is in a prolonged patch of modest form. Since September 2025, he has aggregated 473 runs from 20 innings at an average of 24.89, with only two fifties in that period. His standout knocks have been an 83 against South Africa and an unbeaten 97 in the SA20, but his returns have otherwise fallen short.

"I'm a bit frustrated, to be honest," Buttler said on his podcast. "I felt like I was playing really well… without getting scores. I found myself getting out in the teens and twenties quite a bit… I think [I have been] maybe almost trying a bit too hard."

Despite this, there is no panic within the England camp. Brook backed his experienced opener: "He's fine. He's always going to be fine. He's been in situations like this many times… I think Jos will be fine, and hopefully the Super 8s can bring the best out of him now."

Salt's World Cup Struggles
Phil Salt's struggles are more confined to this tournament. Since September 2025, he has 713 runs in 23 innings at an average of 33.95, including a century and three fifties. His current World Cup form is a dip from that standard.

Salt echoed the captain's sentiment on the team's cautious approach: "I think the overriding theme was… a little bit too careful, a little bit too tentative. We know we've got to let ourselves go, trust in ourselves the rest of the competition."

The Path Forward
The middle order, including Will Jacks, Jacob Bethell, and Tom Banton, has provided crucial finishes in recent wins. Captain Brook himself has only one half-century, against Nepal.

Earlier in the tournament, Brook highlighted the team's philosophy: "We'd rather not start amazing and finish amazing than start amazing and finish bad." Whether the openers can rediscover their touch against stronger Super 8s opposition will be pivotal to England's campaign.