Harry Brook makes England captaincy decision after Ben Stokes retirement
Harry Brook has said he wants to captain the England team in all three formats following the retirement of Ben Stokes.
Test captain Stokes called time on his international career at the end of the third Test between England and New Zealand, which England lost by 160 runs.
The 35-year-old backed Yorkshire batter Brook to replace him in the role.
Brook is England’s captain in both white-ball formats, and garnered praise for the way he led the team to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup earlier this year.
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The 27-year-old was fined £30,000 by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand in November.
READ MORE: Harry Brook issues apology for nightclub incident in New Zealand
He claimed that he was out alone at the time, but later admitted that was not the case and he had initially lied to protect his team-mates.
Brook was tipped to replace Stokes as captain when the Durham all-rounder was left out of the second Test against New Zealand following an incident involving Gus Atkinson and a Saracens rugby player at a nightclub.
Stokes did not witness the incident, though the pair were investigated over breaking a midnight curfew.
Joe Root was selected to temporarily captain England instead of Brook, but the country’s leading Test run scorer has been permanent captain previously.
And there were question marks over whether either Root or the ECB would want him to have a second stint at the helm.
'It would be a great honour' - Brook on Test captaincy
Brook has thrown his hat firmly into the ring by confirming that he would indeed want to captain England in all three formats.
“Ben is a phenomenal cricketer. He taught me a hell of a lot, on and off the field,” Brook told a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “It’s sad to see him go.
“He’s been such a great asset to English cricket over the years and there’s been so many great memories. It’s sad to see him go, but I know he’s made that decision from the bottom of his heart and he’s happy with it.
“He was such an inspiration for me growing up, and then playing and working alongside him. We can take so many learnings from his career. I’m glad that he’s finished on his terms and he feels like he’s in a better place.
“I don’t know yet,” he said, on whether he will replace Stokes as Test captain. “Look, it would be a great honour to do it. It would be a great privilege to do it, to captain England in the highest format of our game.
“It’s the pinnacle. I think playing Test cricket is the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and it’s a dream. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I could speak.
“It’s not up to me, that decision. But if I got offered it, I’d be happy to take it.”
Brook scored 217 runs at an average of 36.16 in the recent three-match Test series against New Zealand, and scored three half-centuries.
He came in for criticism over his quick-fire 21 off nine balls in the fourth innings of the third Test, with ex-England captain Michael Vaughan calling his innings 'really pathetic' as his side chased 373 to win.
But head coach Brendon McCullum defended his batters over their approach, stating that it was a collective decision to bat aggressively on the fourth day in the expectation that the pitch would change considerably on day five.
READ NEXT: Ben Stokes changed mind on retirement plan after Brendon McCullum intervention
England would ultimately lose the Test by 160 runs, despite Jamie Smith's battling innings of 60.
Topics: Cricket, Ben Stokes, England
Ryan Smart