Harry Brook says Wellington incident made him a stronger England leader

Brook says he has learned from a difficult year

Harry Brook says the off-field incident that put his England captaincy under scrutiny has taught him important lessons about leadership, as he approaches the anniversary of being punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington.

“I’ve learnt a lot as a captain, I’ve learnt a lot as a person,” Brook said. “I know it wasn’t an ideal situation to put myself in, but I feel like as a captain and a leader I’ve learnt a lot. Responsibilities and leadership aren’t just on the field, they’re more so off the field as well and actions speak louder than words.”

‘I want to be the man they rely on’

Brook, who has led England’s white-ball teams through a revival, says he welcomes the demands of captaincy and wants to deliver when matches are on the line. “I enjoy the extra responsibility. I like the extra little bit of added pressure,” he said. “I’m not going to go out there and score runs every time I bat but I want to be the man that is in that match-winning situation who can get us over the line.”

He added that he hopes he has “turned that corner” and can become someone England’s players and supporters can rely on. Rather than focus on personal averages, Brook said he assesses himself by whether he has made a match-winning contribution.

Brook’s Test average is 53.08, a career figure, while his ODI average as captain is 51.3 compared with 25.2 when not captain, according to the Guardian’s report. The distinction between his red-ball record and his white-ball leadership has remained a talking point: despite serving as Test vice-captain, he was not appointed to the Test role after Ben Stokes retired, with Joe Root preferred.

England look to carry ODI momentum into tri-series

Brook’s immediate focus is England’s 50-over tri-series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka. England open against hosts Pakistan in Rawalpindi, with the top two teams set to meet in the final. Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the opening match.

England have won their past three ODI series after a difficult period in the format, while their T20 side are top of the world rankings, the reports said. Brook described the squad as “trending in the right direction” and said he and head coach Brendon McCullum believe replacements can step in if a player becomes unavailable close to a match.

Jos Buttler is injured and Jofra Archer has been rested for the series. Brook also said there was “certainly no line through Rehan’s name” after the spinner was left out, explaining that Mason Crane had earned an opportunity through his performances.