Harry Brook, a day before the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, has expressed his gratitude for retaining England’s white-ball captaincy after an off-field incident in New Zealand.
Brook feels that he has work to do in order to rebuild trust within the squad. Last November, the England star had a clash with a nightclub bouncer just before the third ODI against New Zealand. Given that this was Brook’s first time leading England in an overseas series, he informed the team management about the incident. He faced a significant fine but did not lose his captaincy.
Acknowledging the seriousness of the situation, Brook admitted that the thought of losing the captaincy was on his mind. “I didn’t think about resigning, but getting sacked was definitely playing through my mind; I left that decision to the hierarchy. If they had taken the captaincy away, I would have accepted it as long as I could still play for England,” Brook said to the media ahead of the first ODI.
The 26-year-old also recognized his fortune in not losing the captaincy. “I made a mistake, and I would have held my hands up if the decision had gone the other way,” he admitted.
Brook mentioned that he has already apologized to his teammates and acknowledges the responsibility that comes with leadership. “It’s not acceptable as a player, and as a captain, it’s even less acceptable. I know I have work to do to regain the trust of the players.”
However, Brook strongly dismissed the idea that the England squad has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. “I don’t think there’s a drinking culture at all. We’re all grown up enough to make our own choices,” he said.
The first ODI of the three-match series is scheduled for January 22 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The second and third ODIs will follow at the same location on January 24 and 27.
Following the ODIs, the former champions will bolster their preparations for the T20 World Cup with a three-match T20I series against co-host Sri Lanka, starting on January 30 at Pallekele International Stadium.