England captain Harry Brook has backed Sonny Baker to rebound from a tricky start to his international career after the young seamer was given a rough introduction by South Africa .

Brook oversaw a difficult welcome for Baker , who saw his first seven overs in international cricket swatted for 76 – the most expensive return by an England debutant in ODIs - as the hosts were beaten by seven wickets.

The young seamer could have been withdrawn much sooner and spared more pain, but Brook was keen to give the 22-year-old every chance to settle amid a brutal attack from Aiden Markram (86 off 55 balls).

“I was just trying to get him a wicket, to be honest. He got a little bit of tap there, but he just kept on coming and coming and coming,” he explained.

“He hasn’t had the greatest of d

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