Harry Brook acknowledges that he cannot say for certain whether the Wellington incident that occurred just before the Ashes series cost him the chance to become England's Test captain, but he firmly believes that appointing Joe Root to the role was the correct move. The 26‑year‑old cricketer was handed the white‑ball captaincy in April and was elevated to the vice‑captaincy of the Test side in September.
However, in early January it emerged that Brook had been hit by a bouncer on the night before the third One‑Day International in Wellington on 1 November after he was denied entry to a local club. The episode resulted in a final warning and a fine of roughly £30,000. In a public statement Brook said, "I want to apologise for my actions. I fully accept that my behaviour was wrong and brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team." Since then he has remained in the vice‑captain role, but after Ben Stokes stepped away from the position England chose to reinstall Joe Root as Test captain rather than promote Brook.
Many observers have linked the decision directly to Brook's misconduct, but Brook does not share that view. Speaking to BBC Sport he said, "I honestly don't know.
I don't really look at it like that. The decision to make Rooty captain is the right one. I'm actually really excited to see what he can do.
He's definitely the right man to take over that job. I'm really looking forward to working alongside him." He added that the period following the Wellington incident was "tough, especially when I was at home, getting ready to face the media." Brook reflected on how the episode forced him to examine the broader responsibilities of leadership, noting, "I feel like the character that I showed throughout that period to go out there and still perform and lead the white‑ball side fairly well – I was proud of myself and the team. I don't want to say it has helped me, but it has made me realise how big it is to be England captain. It's not just the leadership on the field.
It makes a massive difference if you can lead with responsibility off the field." While the Test captaincy remains out of reach for now, Brook says he has embraced the duties of leading England's limited‑overs side and believes the experience will serve him well if the opportunity arises in the future. "There are little things you learn throughout your career," he observed.
"Obviously, the past few months have been on quite a high scale. Having that responsibility now has made a massive difference for me. There is the potential I could be captain, but at this moment in time all I'm focusing on is trying to win a few games of cricket. I will be 1,000 per cent behind Rooty and I'm really looking forward to what this Test side can do." Brook has long been praised by teammates and pundits as one of the most naturally gifted batsmen of his generation, yet he has also developed a frustrating habit of playing overly adventurous shots that sometimes end his innings prematurely.
When asked about his penchant for speculative strokes, he admitted he understands the irritation it can cause fans and is working on "assessing" situations more quickly. "If supporters get frustrated, imagine how frustrated I get," he said. "It's something I've been really trying to work on, trying to assess conditions quicker, and read the surface better.
To go out there knowing what shots are going to be hard and what is going to be easier." He explained that his preparation begins at a very young age. "I practise every single shot and have done since the age of eight. In the nets, I would do a 360 challenge with my dad. He would throw balls and I'd have to try to hit it to a certain place: that corner, then that corner.
I have the ability to hit it everywhere, I just have to figure it out quicker in games," Brook said. Former England captain Nasser Hussain praised Root's recent decision to scrap the team's curfew ahead of the three‑Test series against Pakistan. "It's just a grown‑up decision, isn't it?" Hussain remarked on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
"You've lost the team if you've got a curfew. You've got no control over your team. There's nothing good that happens with curfews because someone will end up breaking it.
Just treat people like grown‑ups, and if they don't behave like grown‑ups, then the first thing you do is fine them, and then the second thing you do is leave them out. A professional sporting outfit shouldn't need a curfew, and it just shows how bad a place they were in that a curfew was put in. I'm really pleased that Joe has said 'no, enough of that nonsense'." Brook concluded by emphasizing his commitment to the squad's success, regardless of his personal ambitions.
"I will be 1,000 per cent behind Rooty and I'm really looking forward to what this Test side can do," he affirmed. The young vice‑captain remains focused on delivering strong performances for England in the white‑ball formats while keeping an eye on the future, where his leadership qualities could once again be tested at the highest level.