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Harry Brook’s long-term future as England captain faces significant uncertainty following his admission of lying about a nightclub incident in New Zealand, with former international Steve Harmison predicting “troubling times” ahead.
Brook issued a statement after Friday’s T20 victory in Sri Lanka, retracting his earlier claim that he was alone when he was “clocked” by a bouncer in Wellington on October 31.
The Telegraph had previously reported that teammates Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue were also fined by the England and Wales Cricket Board for their involvement that night and are now under investigation by the Cricket Regulator.
The incident first came to light at the start of the Sri Lanka tour, where Brook apologised to supporters and expressed gratitude for retaining the white-ball captaincy, crucially stating he was out alone. However, in his latest statement, Brook confessed to fabricating the story to shield his colleagues.
He said: “I accept responsibility for my actions in Wellington and acknowledge that others were present that evening. I regret my previous comments and my intention was to protect my team-mates from being drawn into a situation that arose as a result of my own decisions.”
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Steve Harmison believes tough times lie ahead for Brook (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Archive)
Harmison, who represented England 123 times across all formats, believes Brook’s position will come under intense scrutiny after the T20 World Cup, which commences on February 8.
Speaking to talkSPORT Cricket, Harmison commented: “Unfortunately when you’re captain and you’ve already made a statement, apologised and said that you were the only one involved, then I think there are troubling times for Harry coming up.”
He added: “Get to the end of the World Cup. Harry Brook is going to be captain for the World Cup. Will he be captain for the foreseeable future after the World Cup? I think a proper review needs to be looked at.
“The thing I look at is, if I am a player, I am protecting Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue. I understand what Harry tried to do, but as England captain I think there might be choppier waters ahead for him.”