Harry Brook: England one-day skipper admits other players were present during nightclub bouncer altercation
Harry Brook has admitted other England players were also present when he was “clocked” by a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand.
England’s white-ball captain told the media last week that he had gone out alone in Wellington on November 1, the evening before the one-day international.
But in a statement released on Friday, the Yorkshireman acknowledged others were with him and admitted he had lied to protect them from being “dragged into a situation”.
The statement came after The Daily Telegraph reported, external He said Brook and two of his teammates, Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue, could be subject to investigation by the cricket regulator.
“I accept responsibility for my actions in Wellington and acknowledge that others were present that evening,” Brook said.
“I regret my previous comments and my intention was to protect my teammates from being put in a situation that resulted from my own decisions.
“I have apologized and will continue to reflect on the matter. “This was a challenging period in my career, but one in which I learned lessons.
“I realize that I still have a lot to learn about leadership and the off-field responsibilities that come with being a captain. I am determined to improve in this area and develop both personally and professionally.”
Brook was appointed manager of England’s white-ball side last summer and the tour to New Zealand was his first overseas tour as captain.
The 26-year-old was also involved in the controversy the night before the third one-day international match in Wellington on November 1, which England lost.
He was fined for his behavior and received a final warning, but the incident and punishment were only revealed more than two months later, after the final Test against Australia in Sydney, at the end of a dismal series in which England lost 4-1.
In an interview with BBC Sport last week, Brook said he “didn’t want to go into the details” of the Wellington incident but said it started with some players “going out to eat”.
“We had no intention of going out and putting ourselves in a difficult situation,” he said.
“I took it upon myself to go out a few more times and I was there by myself. I shouldn’t have been there.
“I was trying to get into a club and unfortunately the bouncer attacked me. I definitely can’t say I was wearing leather. I had too much to drink.”
England men’s cricket director Rob Key told BBC Sport that the England and Wales Cricket Board was investigating the night in Wellington, and Brook reported it to his employers the day after the incident.
The Telegraph report states that the cricket regulator prepared a report after receiving documents from the ECB last week regarding Brook, Bethell and Tongue.
The unit, which was established in 2023 and is chaired by Chris Haward, a former chief superintendent of Lincolnshire police, has the freedom to act as it sees fit. May fine or suspend players for disciplinary offenses.
Brook’s statement is the latest in a series of drinking incidents that have dogged the England team throughout their tour of New Zealand, the subsequent Ashes series and its aftermath.
The drinking incidents, which took place during a mid-tour holiday in Noosa, were particularly scrutinized and Brook was one of the players photographed in bars in the Queensland resort.
