Brook eyes England revival through forward vision

Following a challenging Champions Trophy campaign that saw England exit at the group stage with three losses in three games, Harry Brook now steps into the spotlight, tasked with reigniting a side rich with talent but in need of direction.

“It’s obviously a very proud moment for me and everyone who has played a part in my career, I'm looking forward to what is going to come in the future,” Brook said at his unveiling as the next England white-ball captain in Headingley on April 9.

“It was all up in the air for a little while, as everyone knows, I found out last week. Keysy (Rob Key, managing director of England men's cricket) and Baz (Brendon McCullum, England head coach) both rang me up, and when they told me the news, I took it with open arms. I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”

England’s white-ball team will be busy ahead of next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in February, and Brook will be obliged to feature in 12 ODIs and 15 T20s in preparation for the marquee ICC Men’s event.

The batter will also be tasked with preparing for 11 Tests scheduled between now and the end of the Ashes in early January - one against Zimbabwe, five against India and Australia each.

Brook is confident that with the right mentality and environment, England can rediscover their spark.

“I think we can relax a little bit more. There was a lot of pressure on us from the outside that we were letting come inside, and it affected certain players.

“I would find myself coming across things I didn’t really want to see. As a group, we can try to keep the outside noise to a minimum.”

Brook, who has made 70 appearances across the white-ball formats for England, and served as vice-captain, revealed that captaincy hadn’t been a primary goal but is excited to embrace the opportunity.

Despite the pressure that comes with the role and taking over from Jos Buttler, who led the team to the T20 World Cup triumph in 2022, Brook is clear about the kind of team he wants to shape.

“I try and pick players that can naturally put the best bowlers up in the world under pressure from their best balls and the worst balls.

“I want people who can manipulate the field at certain stages in the game, and those who can score big runs and make really good match-winning contributions to games.

“I want bowlers that can work towards modes of dismissal, figure out ways to get batters out, and I want them to be able to bowl to a certain field at different stages in the game.

“I think you've got to have a certain amount of skills to be able to bowl in white ball cricket. That's the kind of ethos that we're going to go with.”

To focus more on his commitments with England, the batter recently opted out of the ongoing IPL, in favour of rest and focus ahead of his national team duties.

“Having this period after deciding to pull out of the IPL was the right decision for me. It wasn't an easy decision, obviously, but I've got to try and manage my workload. I've played a hell of a lot of cricket over the last year and a half and it's only going to be more going forward.

“I'm not sure how much franchise cricket I'll be playing in the near future but my priority is definitely playing for England and trying to play as much cricket for England as I can.”

Brook’s first assignment as captain will be a home series against the West Indies, featuring three ODIs and three T20s.

Fixtures:

ODI Series vs West Indies:

1st ODI, May 29, Edgbaston, Birmingham

2nd ODI, June 1, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

3rd ODI, June 3, The Kia Oval, London

T20I Series vs West Indies:

1st T20I, June 6, Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street

2nd T20I, June 8, Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol

3rd T20I, June 10, Utilita Bowl, Southampton