Harry Brook wants enjoyment to be at the heart of England’s progression in limited overs cricket and says he will lean on county colleague Joe Root for some leadership advice.
Yorkshire batting star Brook was unveiled to the media at Headingley this afternoon after being appointed as his country’s new white ball captain, replacing Jos Buttler.
The 26-year-old is closing in on 100 all-format international appearances, a milestone he is likely to reach in early June.
In his 94 outings so far, he has scored 3,895. He has played in all the iconic series and global events such as the Ashes and World Cups, and he won the T20 World Cup under Buttler’s leadership in Australia in November 2022.
It’s that kind of success the Burley-in-Wharfedale product is bidding to repeat in the coming years.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Harry Brook netted with his Yorkshire team-mates at Headingley this morning before speaking to the media about his England captaincy role.
“I think I’ll bring a relaxed, enjoyable, try and keep it as fun as possible environment,” he said, having also played under Ben Stokes’ leadership in the Test team.
“Jos, winning the World Cup, we went out there and we just had complete clarity in the way we were going to play in that World Cup. Then Stokesy, he’s just been amazing from start to now.
“There’s so much I can learn from speaking to those two.
“Obviously, I’ve got the likes of Rooty, who’s a close mate as well.
“He’s had a lot of experience in captaining. There’s a lot of people around who hopefully can help me and give me advice throughout.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. England’s Captain Marvel Harry Brook at Headingley today.
Brook, speaking to the ECB website, continued: “I just want us to play with aggression and be 100% committed to competing in whatever game we have coming up.
“I think we’ve got to concentrate on that next game at a time.
“Obviously, there’s plenty of mega tournaments and major tournaments coming up, and you’ve got to keep that in the back of the mind. But we’ve got to take one game at a time and, like I said, be aggressive and be competitive.”
Brook spoke of his pride when asked to take over by head coach Brendon McCullum and Rob Key, the managing director of England Cricket.
“Yeah, very, very special for me and my family and all the people who have supported me throughout my career,” he said. “Mum, Dad, my girlfriend, they were all very proud of me, and hopefully I can help this team going forward and win a few titles.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com. Yorkshire fans are likely to see Harry Brook in Rothesay County Championship action during the coming weeks.
Brook is expected to line up for Yorkshire in the coming weeks in the Rothesay County Championship before England’s summer begins on May 22 with a home Test against Zimbabwe at Lord’s.
Brook, who also captained England’s ODI team against Australia last September when Buttler was injured, led Yorkshire four times in the 2022 Vitality Blast, including at Finals Day.
And he is expecting a few tough decisions ahead having talked up the talent pool available in English Cricket at present.
“I’ve been trying to write a few teams down, and it’s been a nightmare so far,” Brook added. “There’s plenty of amazing players in the country, and it’s going to be tough to select the best team, to be honest.”
