Brook admits he could have been sacked as England head to Pakistan
Harry Brook admits he could have been sacked as England's white-ball captain after the nightclub incident in New Zealand last year.
The 27-year-old speaks openly about that low point as England head into a 50-over tri-series in Pakistan. England face Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Tuesday at 09:00 BST in their first game. Sri Lanka are the third team in the tournament.
Brook was punched by a bouncer on the eve of a match against New Zealand in Wellington almost a year ago. The altercation happened hours before he led England in a one-day international — a 50-over game — against New Zealand on Halloween last year, according to The Guardian.
He said he has learnt a lot as a captain and learnt a lot as a person. He added that responsibilities and leadership are not just on the field but more so off the field. Actions speak louder than words, he said.
"I want to be the man that England fans and the team rely on in match-winning situations," Brook said, according to BBC Sport.
That is how he measures himself. He said he judges himself on match-winning performances or impacts in each game and tallies them at the end of the year. He said he enjoys the extra responsibility and added pressure of captaincy.
The numbers back him up in one-day cricket. His ODI average as captain is 51.3 compared to 25.2 when not captain. He hit 77 off 66 balls after being dropped on seven in England's 223-run win over Sri Lanka last month which sealed that series, according to Reuters.
His Test form tells a different recent story. Brook has not scored a Test hundred — a single innings of 100 or more in the five-day format — since the Wellington incident, including during last winter's Ashes. His overall record remains strong. He averages 53.08 in Tests with 10 centuries, the highest average among any England batter to have played at least 20 matches in more than 50 years.
Ben Stokes, the former Test captain, told Brook he is talented enough to average 65 or 70 in Tests. Brook now serves as Test vice-captain. Joe Root was preferred for the red-ball captaincy after Stokes retired.
For fans, this means a reset with an eye on the future. England have won three ODI series in a row as they build towards next year's World Cup. That follows a run where the 50-over side lost seven of eight series. The T20 team sit top of the world rankings.
The immediate test is Pakistan. Each team plays each other twice in this tri-series, with the top two contesting the final on Halloween. Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the opener on Sunday. Pakistan lost three recent Tests to Root's England Test side, but this is a different format and a different squad.
England are without Jos Buttler, who is injured and will miss the tri-series. Jofra Archer has been rested. England named a 16-strong squad and selected leg-spinner Mason Crane ahead of Rehan Ahmed. Crane's last England appearance was more than eight years ago. Brook said there is no line through Rehan Ahmed's name and that Crane deserves an opportunity.
What makes this stand out is the tone. Brook is not hiding from last year. He is asking to be judged where it matters most, in tight finishes with the game on the line.
