England’s white-ball captain Harry Brook has admitted that he was not truthful about the circumstances surrounding the nightclub incident in Wellington last October, accepting that he still has “more to learn” about the responsibilities that come with leadership.
Brook, who was punched by a nightclub bouncer on the eve of England’s ODI against New Zealand, had earlier claimed that he was alone at the time of the altercation. He has now acknowledged that teammates were present and that his earlier version of events was intended to protect them from being dragged into the controversy.
“I accept responsibility for my actions in Wellington and acknowledge that others were present that evening,” Brook said in a statement released after England’s win over Sri Lanka in the first T20I. “I regret my previous comments and my intention was to protect my teammates from being drawn into a situation that arose as a result of my own decisions.”
Harry Brook’s public admission
The admission came to light after England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, when questions around team culture and off-field behaviour resurfaced. As reported earlier, the England and Wales Cricket Board had issued Brook a final warning and fined him £30,000 (INR 36 lakh), the maximum penalty available, after concluding its investigation into the incident. At the time, Brook apologised publicly and accepted that his actions had embarrassed the team.
“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,” Brook had said. “Representing England is the greatest honour of all… I am deeply sorry for letting down my team-mates, coaches and supporters.“
Brook had also spoken openly about the possibility of losing the captaincy, admitting that he would have accepted such a decision had it gone against him. “I left that decision to the hierarchy, and look, if they’d have sacked me from being captain, then I’d have been perfectly fine with it as long as I was still playing cricket for England,” he said at the time.
However, reports now suggest that Brook, Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue were all under investigation by the Cricket Regulator, contradicting earlier claims by England’s management that no formal action had been taken. Speaking in Sri Lanka last week, Brook continued to insist that he had been alone, a version he has now walked back.
The ECB, meanwhile, is conducting a review of England’s winter, with player behaviour one of the key focus areas. Measures such as a midnight curfew during subcontinent tours have already been introduced, as the board looks to ensure that episodes like Wellington do not repeat themselves.
