Yesterday, Brook became the world's No.1 ranked batter in Test cricket, overtaking teammate Joe Root by a single rating point to occupy that spot for the first time in his career.

The rise in the rankings has come shortly after Root called Brook "far and away the best player in the world" earlier this week. Australian great Ricky Ponting responded to Root's comments on the latest episode of the ICC Review, adding some of his own.

"England’s policy has been to pick who they see as their most talented players, numbers be damned."

Given that, could Jacob Bethell's breakthrough series against New Zealand threaten Zak Crawley's place in the team?

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— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) December 12, 2024

Ponting said, "He probably is [the best player in the world] right now. I mean, he's doing some pretty amazing things. Most of them he's doing away from home. I think that's his sixth or seventh hundred now away from home, out of whatever he's got, eight or nine hundreds.

"And it's the way he gets his runs. He gets them with class and gets them quickly under this new regime (Stokes and McCullum). I love watching him play. I got him in the IPL auction last year, because I think he's a generational type of player. I think he's really starting to show that now at Test level. And I think he can do the same across all three formats."

Ponting also said there might have been an element of humility in Root's comments, given his own stunning form of late: "That also might be Joe being a little bit humble. I think Joe's made something like 19 Test hundreds in the last three years. So I think he can put his hand up and say that he's right at the top of the list as well."

Read more: New Zealand batter to miss third England Test, replacement named

Brook has enjoyed a bumper year in 2024, scoring over 1000 runs at an average of 61 and strike rate of 85. After scoring 123 and 55 in England's second Test against New Zealand in Wellington, his career aggregate of 2280 runs is the fourth-highest of any player after their first 38 innings.

If he scores 116 or more in his next outing, expected to be in the third Test in Hamilton, Brook will be second only to Don Bradman for the most Test runs scored in a player's first 39 Test innings.

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