Harry Brook has admitted that he feared he would be sacked as England white-ball captain after his drunken altercation with a bouncer in New Zealand.
Speaking ahead of England's ODI series in Sri Lanka, Brook said fans have "every right to be annoyed" after he was "clocked" by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington, the night before the third ODI of England's series against New Zealand. Brook was fined £30,000 for the incident and given a final warning over his conduct, with news of the incident breaking only at the end of the Ashes series more than two months later.
"It was definitely playing through my mind," Brook told reporters in Colombo when asked if he had expected to be sacked after the incident. On whether he considered resigning, Brook said: "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: 'I'd had one too many drinks'
The dual white-ball series in New Zealand before the Ashes was Brook's first overseas assignment as England white-ball captain. He was appointed to the role last year after Jos Buttler resigned following England's disastrous Champions Trophy campaign. After a rain-affected T20I series, England lost the ODI series 3-0, continuing their results slump in the 50-over format.
Brook said he did not want to go into the details of the incident before the third ODI but said he and some other players had gone out of the team hotel for some food.
"There was no intention of going out, no intention of putting ourselves in a tricky situation," he said. "I took it upon myself to go out for a few more and I was on my own there. I shouldn't have been there. I was trying to get into a club and the bouncer just clocked me, unfortunately. I wouldn't say I was absolutely leathered. I'd had one too many drinks."
Brook reported the incident to England management the next day during the third ODI, in which he was out for six. He issued a publically apology in a statement issued after the conclusion of the final Ashes Test, when news of the disciplinary process over the incident was made public.
"I'm extremely sorry to all the supporters for what I did in New Zealand," said Brook. "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."
"I've got a little bit of work to do to try and regain the trust of the players. I felt like I needed to say sorry for my actions. It's not acceptable as a player, but as a captain it's really not acceptable to do what I did in New Zealand. I hold my hands up."
'It was nothing silly' – Brook denies England Ashes drinking culture
Before news of the incident in Wellington was made public, England were under fire for allegations of a drinking culture during the Ashes. The squad spent time in Noosa on a mid-series break, having already gone 2-0 down. Members of the squad, including Brook, were photographed drinking at a bar during the getaway, and video emerged of Ben Duckett appearing intoxicated late at night attempting to return to the team hotel.
"We weren't exactly happy to be photographed," said Brook. "We were looking over our shoulder every second to see if there's a camera there. We were drinking responsibly, bar one situation. Other than that, we were completely in control of what we were doing. We were just going out and having a drink and it was nothing silly."
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Former players who featured under Brendon McCullum's tenure, including Stuart Broad and Moeen Ali, have denied that their is a drinking culture in the England team over the past couple of weeks.
"It wasn't just drinking," Brook said. "We weren't just going out and getting leathered every day. We were having a few drinks here and there. We were playing plenty of golf, going to nice cafes, having coffees but we had a few drinks here and there. I don't think that's a bad thing. It's just what human beings do."
A curfew has now been enforced on England players in Sri Lanka, with players and staff required to be back in the team hotel by midnight. Brook said the decision was made as a group rather than being forced on players from management.
England will play the first ODI of their series against Sri Lanka tomorrow (Thursday, January 22) in Colombo.
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