Harry Brook says he would accept the England Test captaincy if offered the role, describing it as a privilege he could not turn down, as the search begins for Ben Stokes’ successor following the all-rounder’s retirement from international cricket.
Stokes gave his “100 per cent” backing to Brook becoming the next England Test captain before stepping away from the role. Brook told BBC Sport: “I don’t think you can turn down being an England Test captain. It would be an honour and a privilege to be Test captain — the pinnacle of our sport. It’s not up to me to make that decision. It’s up to people well above me. I’d be happy to do it if I did get asked.”
Brook, 27, was named England’s white-ball captain last year and was promoted to Stokes’ Test vice-captain during last winter’s Ashes tour, making him the obvious candidate to become the 83rd man to lead England in Test cricket. Joe Root, his predecessor as deputy, is perhaps the only realistic alternative. England head coach Brendon McCullum said on Monday there were “lots of options” to replace Stokes, though it remains unclear who, beyond Brook or Root, those might genuinely be.
Taking on the Test captaincy alongside his existing white-ball leadership duties would make Brook only the second England player since Andrew Strauss in 2009 to lead the side across all three formats simultaneously — and Strauss’s spell in charge of the T20 side lasted only a single match. Asked whether juggling all three formats as captain was realistic, Brook said: “I think it is possible. I’m not saying it would be easy, but I definitely do think it is possible. The fact I don’t play franchise cricket means there are periods in my calendar when I wouldn’t be playing cricket. I’d be focussing on my fitness and getting ready to play all three formats, which has been a dream of mine since I could speak or walk.”
The demands of his current schedule were laid bare this week, with the Test series against New Zealand ending on Monday before a five-match T20 series against India begins at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday — a turnaround so tight that Brook only met newly capped all-rounder James Coles for the first time at training on Tuesday.
Brook insisted he would not be disappointed if the captaincy went elsewhere. “Whether I’m captain or not, I just want to play with the Three Lions on my chest and give it my everything,” he said.
The question of Brook’s leadership credentials came under scrutiny earlier this year when Stokes missed the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval pending an investigation into an incident at a London nightclub. Brook was overlooked for the captaincy on that occasion, with the role instead going to Root. England director of cricket Rob Key admitted there were “many reasons” Brook was not asked to deputise, including the Yorkshireman’s own involvement in a separate late-night incident over the winter, when he was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington on the eve of a one-day international against New Zealand. Brook backed the decision to overlook him at the time. “I think the decision that was made was the right one,” he said. “Making Rooty captain that week was definitely the right decision. He’s always been there — he’s been a stalwart for English cricket. In my opinion he’s the best batter to ever play Test cricket. England needed him that week and he stepped up. My job was to help him as much as possible.”
Brook has also faced criticism for his form and shot selection on the field, with former England captain Michael Vaughan describing his innings of 21 from nine balls on the fourth evening of the third Test against New Zealand as “absolutely pathetic.” Despite the criticism, Brook’s Test batting average of 53.04 is the highest of any England player in almost 60 years, and he is one of only four men to have scored a century in all three formats for the country. “I’m just happy that I’m playing cricket for England,” Brook said. “People are allowed opinions, and I always try to do what is best for the side. Whether that’s going out there and trying to put the pressure back on the opposition, and playing some daft shots here and there — that might happen — or whether it’s trying to dig out a gritty innings to get a draw. I’m just a person who wants to go out there, score as many runs as I possibly can and get the team into positions where we can win matches.”
England’s XI for the first T20 against India on Wednesday: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Harry Brook (captain), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood, Saqib Mahmood.
