Harry Brook wants to move on from a “pretty horrendous” few weeks as he prepares to captain England at the T20 World Cup.
Brook was punched by a bouncer after heading out the night before a one-day international in New Zealand last autumn, with his indiscretion revealed publicly on the final day of England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia in January.
The 26-year-old – who was fined £30,000 and given a final warning about his conduct by the ECB – initially said he was alone during that scuffle in Wellington but later admitted he lied in order to “protect team-mates”.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue were also present on the night in question and are also being investigated by the Cricket Regulator.
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Will star players Brook, Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer help England to T20 World Cup glory? Watch the tournament live on Sky Sports
What has Brook learned from nightclub saga?
Speaking publicly for the first time since the latest development, and on the eve of England’s T20 World Cup opener against Nepal on Sunday (9.30am UK, live on Sky Sports), Brook said: “It has been pretty horrendous. It’s not been a very nice time of my life.
“All I do is hit a ball with a bat and that’s what I want to carry on doing for the rest of my career. I obviously made a mistake, I’ve got to try and put that behind me and focus on what’s more important.
“I’ve definitely learned there’s a hell of a lot more responsibility on your shoulders when you’re captain. When you’re a leader, you can’t take that responsibility lightly. You’ve got to be on virtually all the time.”
Captain Brook admitted lying about his clash with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand in order to protect team-mates
Brook struck a 57-ball ODI hundred during a 2-1 series win in Sri Lanka and then cracked a 12-ball 36 in the second game of the 3-0 T20 sweep that followed against the same opposition, with the Yorkshireman adding: “It’s weird, as a professional sportsman, when you get out to the wicket, and you’re a batter, everything just seems to float away.
“All you’re focusing on is that cricket ball. Even when the crowds are massive, sometimes you don’t even realise that there’s any noise when you’re batting, so, luckily, I got into that bubble, and I managed to bat fairly well.”
England XI packed with spin options
England have named their XI to face Nepal, with Phil Salt shaking off the back spasm that ruled him out of the final T20 in Sri Lanka on Tuesday and fit to open the batting alongside Jos Buttler.
Buttler (left) and Salt (right) average over 50 as a partnership in T20Is
Tom Banton has earned the nod over fellow batter Ben Duckett in the middle order, while left-arm seamer Luke Wood has been preferred to all-rounder Jamie Overton and frontline spinners Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson are backed up by Bethell and Will Jacks.
Brook added: “You look at India’s side, they’re one of the best sides to play T20 cricket at the minute, and they’ve got about five spinners, so why don’t we have a little bit of a crack at that as well?
“We’re not copying them. It’s more they have a hell of a lot more options than most of the countries. We feel like we’re in a really good space selection wise.”
England’s T20 World Cup fixtures (first round)
All times UK and Ireland; all games live on Sky Sports
vs Nepal (Sunday February 8) – Mumbai (9.30am)vs West Indies (Wednesday February 11) – Mumbai (1.30pm)vs Scotland (Saturday February 14) – Kolkata (9.30am)vs Italy (Monday February 16) – Kolkata (9.30am)
Watch the Men’s T20 World Cup live on Sky Sports from February 7 to March 8. Get Sky Sports or stream contract-free with NOW.
