Harry Brook says he wants to be a captain that "England fans and the team rely on" as the one-year anniversary approaches of his altercation with a bouncer at a nightclub in Wellington, New Zealand. Brook was overlooked for the Test captaincy after Ben Stokes' international retirement this summer, and he has previously admitted he could have been sacked as white-ball skipper over the incident, which occurred hours before an ODI against the Black Caps on Halloween last year.
Since then, Brook has stabilised an ailing 50-over side. England have won their last three series after losing seven of their previous eight, while his T20 team currently top the world rankings. His ODI average has also risen sharply under the captaincy, with 51.3 per innings as skipper compared to 25.2 without.
"I've learnt a lot as a captain, I've learnt a lot as a person," Brook told the Press Association ahead of England's ODI against Pakistan on Tuesday, the opening match of a tri-series that also involves Sri Lanka. "I know it wasn't an ideal situation [in Wellington] to put myself in, but I feel as a captain and a leader I've learnt a lot."
Brook also responded to Stokes' comment that his Test average, currently 53.08, should be as high as 65 or 70. He laughed off the suggestion, saying he is not especially bothered by statistics and prefers to judge himself on match-winning impact. With just under a year to go until the 50-over World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, Brook's focus is on delivering in key moments.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing