Harry Brook has confessed that he worried about losing his role as England’s white-ball captain after a confrontation with a nightclub bouncer during their New Zealand tour in October.
The incident unfolded just hours before England’s final One Day International defeat against New Zealand in Wellington.
The bouncer denied Brook entry, suspecting he was intoxicated, which led to a heated exchange where Brook was reportedly struck.
Brook took the initiative to inform the team management about the incident, while photos of players at a rooftop bar circulated on social media.
The 26-year-old was cautioned about his conduct and faced the possibility of being stripped of his captaincy. However, he was instead fined £30,000, the highest permissible penalty.
In an interview with the BBC, Brook admitted to his anxiety over potentially being dismissed from his leadership position following the altercation.
Harry Brook admitted he feared being sacked as England’s white ball captain after an altercation with a bouncer in New Zealand back in October
Brook was fined the maximum £30,000 but avoided being sacked following the incident
‘It was definitely playing through my mind,’ Brook said.
When asked if he considered resigning, Brook responded: ‘No, it never came into my mind. I left that decision to the hierarchy.
‘If they’d have sacked me from being captain, then I’d have been perfectly fine with it as long as I was still playing cricket for England.’
Brook admitted he needed to earn back trust from team-mates and fans following the incident, which he labelled as a ‘terrible mistake’.
He stated that the fans had a right to be annoyed at him, but pledged to be more professional moving forwards.
‘I’ve put myself in a situation which I shouldn’t have done. Did it affect my cricket? I don’t think so. I’d have still played the same way. Obviously, I didn’t get a score that I’d have liked [in the Ashes], but I still played the same way,’ Brook said.
‘I’m extremely sorry to all the supporters for what I did in New Zealand. I’ve got to try and regain their trust again in my ability, in my cricket on the field and off the field. I’m hoping that they can expect I’ll be slightly different away from the game. I’ll be more professional.
‘That’s what I’ve got to do now for the rest of my career, hopefully. I just want to be back playing as good cricket as I possibly can be.’
News of Brook’s off-the-field misdemeanour emerged after England’s 4-1 loss by Australia in the Ashes.
Video footage emerged online of England batsman Ben Duckett drunk in Australia last month
Multiple drinking incidents blighted five Test series, which took place across seven weeks in Australia.
During a six-day mid-series Ashes break in Noosa compared to a stag do by some witnesses, video footage emerged of an inebriated Ben Duckett seemingly uncertain of either where he was or where he needed to get to late at night.
There were also reports of high alcohol consumption by England players during their time in Perth, where they stayed in a casino complex hotel.
Daily Mail Sport later revealed that England’s managing director Rob Key had closed the investigation into Noosa, with the players deemed to have no case to answer.
On Sunday, Daily Mail Sport exclusively revealed that Brook’s England squad will be subject to a midnight curfew for the rest of the winter.
There will be no formal notification of rules for expected behaviour during the twin white-ball series versus Sri Lanka and next month’s Twenty20 World Cup, Daily Mail Sport understands they will be reminded of their responsibilities as international sportsmen upon arrival in Colombo.
One guideline that Harry Brook’s squad, who were due to fly out of London on Sunday, will have to adhere to, however, is ensuring that they are back on team hotel premises before 12am daily unless agreed otherwise in advance.
Brook said the curfew had been a ‘group decision’.
