Harry Brook’s tenure as England captain is facing renewed scrutiny after he admitted to misleading the public over a nightclub incident in New Zealand, with former fast bowler Steve Harmison warning that the issue could have serious consequences beyond the upcoming World Cup.
Brook released a statement following England’s Twenty20 win in Sri Lanka on Friday, conceding that his earlier account of an altercation with a bouncer in Wellington on October 31 was incomplete. He had previously said he was alone when he was clocked, a claim he has now withdrawn.
Reporting by The Telegraph revealed that England team mates Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue were also involved in the incident and were fined by the England and Wales Cricket Board. Both players are now subject to an investigation by the regulatory body.
The episode surfaced publicly at the start of England’s tour of Sri Lanka, when Brook apologised to supporters and thanked them for allowing him to retain the white ball captaincy. At that point, he maintained that no other players were present. In his latest statement, Brook acknowledged that he had deliberately obscured the full picture in an attempt 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.”
Harmison, who played 123 times for England across all formats, believes the matter will be revisited once the Twenty20 World Cup concludes on February 8.
Speaking to talkSPORT Cricket, he said: “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.”
Harmison added that Brook’s leadership should be formally reassessed once the tournament ends.
He said: “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.”
