Harry Brook says he has "learned a lot" ahead of Rawalpindi tri-series opener
Harry Brook said he has "learned a lot" as a captain and as a person while preparing for England's opening match of a 50-over tri-series in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, telling the Press Association he wants to be the player England supporters can rely on.
England have climbed to sixth in the ODI rankings and sit top of the T20 standings, and Brook — 27 — has overseen a notable improvement in the white-ball teams after a turbulent year that included being punched by a nightclub bouncer on the eve of an ODI against New Zealand in Wellington almost a year ago, an episode that briefly clouded his future as skipper.
Brook told the Press Association: "I've learnt a lot as a captain, I've learnt a lot as a person. I know it wasn't an ideal situation to put myself in, but I feel like as a captain and a leader I've learnt a lot." He added: "Responsibilities and leadership aren't just on the field, they're more so off the field as well and actions speak louder than words."
Despite serving as white-ball captain and Test vice-captain, Brook was overlooked for the red-ball captaincy when Ben Stokes retired and Joe Root was preferred; he has not made a Test hundred since that incident, including failing to do so during last winter's Ashes. His Test figures stand at an average of 53.08 with 10 centuries, which the coverage describes as the highest for England in almost 60 years.
Brook's conversion rate in red-ball cricket has drawn scrutiny: he has failed to turn any of his seven fifties into hundreds since the Ashes, though he maintains a Test average of 41.57 in that period and has recorded centuries as captain in T20 and one-day internationals. The coverage notes he remains a polarising figure because of an aggressive batting style that some critics deem reckless.
On his leadership and personal expectations Brook said: "I enjoy the extra responsibility. I like the extra little bit of added pressure. I'm not going to go out there and score runs every time I bat but I want to be the man that is in that match-winning situation who can get us over the line. I know there have been a few innings where I haven't managed to do that but hopefully I've turned that corner and I can really be the man England fans and the team rely on."
Asked about comments from Ben Stokes that he could average "65 or 70", Brook laughed and replied: "I mean 65 or 70 is a massive average, isn't it, wow! Personally I'm not that bothered about the stats, I've always said I think there should be a match-winning column in your stats – that's not there. I write stuff down and I try and judge myself on whether I've had a match-winning performance or match-winning impact in that specific game and I try and tally it up at the end of the year and see how well I've done." Rehan Ahmed was overlooked in favour of fellow leg-spinner Mason Crane, more than eight years after his last appearance for England.
England open the tri-series against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Tuesday at 09:00 BST; the competition also features Sri Lanka, with the hosts having beaten Sri Lanka in the series opener on Sunday. Jos Buttler is injured for the series and Jofra Archer has been rested, England delayed naming their team until the toss, and Brook said: "In the last six to eight months we're certainly trending in the right direction as a squad... Me and Baz [head coach Brendon McCullum] feel like we've got a squad where if someone does go down five minutes before the toss, we're in a position where someone else can come in and fill that role perfectly well."
