'It's Very Early'- Graham Thorpe On Tom Banton's Comparison With Kevin Pietersen

Graham Thorpe, the former England batsman, believes that comparisons of Tom Banton with the legendary Kevin Pietersen will put an unnecessary burden on the tearaway Somerset batsman, adding that the young opener should be allowed to develop his own style and pace.

Banton had his best day in an England shirt during the first T20I against Pakistan. After a shaky start where he was given a reprieve courtesy a dropped catch by Iftikhar Ahmed, Banton settled into a great rhythm, dishing out audacious scoops and slog sweeps for fun.

Following his enterprising knock of 71 (off 42 balls), Michael Vaughan went on to compare the Somerset opener with former England captain Kevin Pietersen. But, Thorpe, who is overlooking the side in the absence of regular coach Chris Silverwood, feels it’s ‘very early’.

“It’s very early. Let him be comfortable in the environment he’s in and let him develop at his own pace as well,” Graham Thorpe was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

“He’s certainly talented, you can tell he’s very hungry as a player and he works well at his game. It’s always pleasing when you see someone perform on the big stage as a young lad,’ he added.

‘He was incredibly clear on his plan against spin’- Graham Thorpe on Tom Banton

One of the most impressive features of Tom Banton’s knock was the manner in which he played against Pakistan’s spinners. On a track, where every other English batsman struggled to get going against the spinners, Banton looked authoritative in his strokeplay.

With the next T20 World Cup set to take place in spin-friendly conditions of India, Banton’s knock, Graham Thorpe was hugely impressed with how the rookie tackled the spinners.

“In this game, you need to have real clarity on your strokeplay. And he’s powerful as well. You saw some of the skill shots – the ramp shots he played off Rauf – but he was incredibly clear on his plan against spin as well,’ Graham Thorpe added.

“If you can step up and put in performances like that, you’re certainly going to create competition for the squad and that’s what we’re looking for.” he added.

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