Harry Brooke’s winter has been marked by unwanted headlines.
First, there was a series of ill-advised shots in the Ashes series defeat, with former England seamer Stuart Broad lamenting the batsmen’s lack of game awareness after a particularly reckless dismissal of Mitchell Starc on Sunday night in Brisbane.
Brook averaged just under 40 shades against Australia and hit a top score of 84 with his two half-centuries, but those numbers could and should have been higher.
Then, on the final day of the Ashes, shortly after England’s 4-1 defeat, news broke that Mr Brook had been fined and warned by the ECB for his actions after clashing with a nightclub bouncer on the eve of an ODI in New Zealand in November.
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Brook admits he is lucky to still be England’s white-ball captain after getting into an altercation with a nightclub bouncer on the eve of a match in New Zealand
Some would argue it wasn’t England’s most embarrassing bouncer encounter in recent times – that award would go to Jamie Smith for his inexplicable dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne’s long hop at the SCG – but it was still an immoral one.
Given England’s abysmal ODI form, now somewhat alleviated by their come-from-behind series victory in Sri Lanka, the pressure on Brook has been gradually mounting and the white-ball captain admitted bouncer Gate was lucky not to have lost his job.
Brooke celebrates ‘Stone Cold Style’ but has ‘no malice’
He was a huge flop for England in the first ODI against Sri Lanka, conceding six runs in a 5-36 defeat, but two days later he scored the winning run with a lackluster 42 off 75 balls on what he said was the worst pitch he had ever played on. Three days later, he was back to a breathtaking all-time high of 57 Boulton.
And how did he choose to celebrate the century? That’s what pro wrestling legend “Stone Cold” Steve Austin does by performing his infamous “Beer Smash Celebration.” The only difference was that these were imaginary cans, not real.
Still, eyebrows were raised after that incident in Wellington.
Teammate Joe Root told reporters after the match that there was “no malice” in Brook’s comments. “He’s just trying to have a little joke with his teammates and I hope it’s taken correctly.”
“He was trying to show that he wanted approval from the group. I think that’s another area of why he’s a good leader. It’s because he has that (humorous) side to him.”
Brook celebrated his latest ODI hundred like WWE legend ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin
After being criticized for his lack of versatility in the Test arena, Root said Brook showed exactly those traits, his composure and clarity under pressure, in the 50-over area, following up his fine effort in the second ODI, with a blistering third innings.
Brook hit 11 fours and nine sixes in 136 not outs off 66 balls and, along with fellow centurion Root, dominated a third-wicket stand of 191 off 113 deliveries.
It took Brook 40 pitches to reach 50 pitches. After just 17 deliveries, he reached triple digit deliveries. He started the innings with a deft four-run behind and finished with a brilliant six-over cover. In between, he drove, pulled, lofted, positioned, whipped, and mostly beat boundaries.
Sri Lanka had no answer. The only question was why this gifted man would indulge in deceit in the ashes. His game management here was superb. He took his time getting on board before getting off, and in the match against Australia he often tried to get off before getting on.
Brook led England to their first away ODI series win since a 2-1 victory in Bangladesh in March 2023.
Brook leads England to long-awaited away series win
We may never know if Brook was burdened by the bouncer brawl while batting in Australia, but he has bounced back so far in the subcontinent, not only with the bat but also with his leadership and fielding.
Thanks to some clever rotation from the spinners, England beat Sri Lanka for 219 in the second ODI, and in the third innings, the home team’s batsmen took a half-hearted shot like he had committed earlier, taking three catches in the series-deciding victory.
Brooke, and this is a compliment, seems like a pretty simple cricketer. So keeping him mentally organized and in top form with the bat will be crucial for England over the coming months. Sri Lanka will have a T20 series and then the T20 World Cup. It’s been a tough winter for Brooke, but she could end up with great success.
Brook says he benefited from working at the net with Joe Root (left) on the eve of the final Sri Lanka ODI match.
Root, a player in the ODI series in Sri Lanka, was not out with knocks of 65, 71 and 111, but he did not take part in any future fun or games against fellow Yorkshiremen at Brook and is not part of the T20 squad and can enjoy a rest ahead of the first Test of the summer in June.
However, he seemed to have played a big role in Brooke’s ODI ton in Colombo, with Brooke saying in his presentation: “I was working on a few things with Luthi in the nets and thankfully it paid off.” This isn’t the first time England have been indebted to Joe Root, and it certainly won’t be the last.
And we can all drink it.
Watch live text commentary for England’s three-match T20 series in Sri Lanka on the Sky Sports app, starting with Friday’s opener (1.30pm UK). Then watch the T20 World Cup live from 7 February on Sky Sports and watch England’s first match against Nepal in Kolkata on Sunday 8 February (9.30am UK).
