London [UK], April 10 (ANI): Harry Brook has made it clear that no amount of money will stand in the way of his commitment to leading England’s white-ball teams, as he pledges to prioritise national duty over franchise cricket. The 26-year-old was officially named as Jos Buttler’s successor on Monday, taking on the responsibility of guiding a team in desperate need of a reset following disappointing campaigns in both the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Brook’s appointment comes at a crucial time, with England eyeing a turnaround ahead of the T20 World Cup in February next year, set to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. His first year as captain will demand strong leadership, a clear vision, and swift improvements in both ODI and T20I formats.
Simultaneously, Brook remains a vital figure in England’s Test setup. Currently ranked second in the ICC Test batting rankings, just behind fellow Yorkshireman Joe Root, he is set to play a central role in major red-ball series against India and Australia. Despite his elevated status in white-ball cricket, Brook revealed that a successful Ashes campaign this winter is more significant to him than lifting the T20 World Cup.
“It’s the Ashes, I think,” Brook said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. “I know I’ve taken over the white-ball captaincy, but the Ashes is the pinnacle of cricket for me still,” he added.
With the Ashes tour likely to define the legacies of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, Brook, now also vice-captain in the Test team, is fully aligned with their red-ball vision.
Given his growing responsibilities, Brook has decided to cut back on franchise cricket, a decision that speaks volumes about his priorities. In March, he withdrew from the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the second year in a row, turning down a lucrative £590,000 deal with the Delhi Capitals. That move has earned him a two-year IPL ban under the BCCI’s new regulations for 2025, something Brook accepts as fair.
“Definitely not at the minute,” Brook said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
“I just want to play cricket for England, represent my country like I have over the last few years and hopefully have a big impact on the side moving forward,” he added.
“It’s my priority – England is the way forward for me and franchise cricket can almost take a step back for a little while. At the end of the day I enjoy playing cricket for England more than anything else so, yeah, to lose a little bit of money here and there I’d take that any day to play for England,” he said.
“I haven’t completely given up franchise cricket. But in the near future, I don’t see a way with the schedule that I’m going to have much time to play on the franchise circuit,” he noted.
His absence from this year’s IPL followed a difficult personal period, as he missed England’s Test tour of India earlier in the year due to the illness and subsequent passing of his grandmother. This time, Brook cited the need to recharge.
Since the beginning of last summer, Brook has played 50 matches, 38 of them for England across formats, including two ICC tournaments.
“It was hard on Jos. I think he didn’t really have the best players at all times, and hopefully we can have that moving on forward,” he said on Jos Buttler
Finding a balance between his leadership responsibilities and personal performance will be Brook’s biggest challenge. He has already identified the Ireland ODIs in September as a potential window for rest, though he’s aware of how valuable those matches could be in reinforcing his captaincy style and team culture.
“That Ireland series, potentially [is one to miss], but I might want to play. Because it’s my first year, I might want to keep around the lads and keep them in high spirits,” he said.
“It’s a lot of cricket. And I’m looking forward to it. The Ashes is going to be mega. But we’ve got a lot of cricket before that. That’s probably where the odd week off here and there, maybe missing the odd series, wouldn’t be a stupid thing,” he noted.
Domestically, Brook will captain the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred and is expected to play a game or two for Yorkshire in the County Championship in May, ahead of the Zimbabwe Test at Trent Bridge starting May 22.
“This might sound a little bit stupid, but I think when you’re captain it almost wants to make you win a little bit more. That’s not me saying when I’m not captain I don’t want to win. I’m a very competitive person anyway, I hate losing at anything. Hopefully, I can bring that competitiveness and have it in a good way around the group,” he noted.
Brook’s willingness to sacrifice franchise wealth in favour of national service signals a new chapter for England’s white-ball teams. (ANI)
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