Brook wants to be captain 'England fans can rely on'

Key points

• Harry Brook says he wants to be a captain England fans and the team can rely on.
• Brook was overlooked for the Test captaincy after Ben Stokes' international retirement this summer.
• England open their ODI tri-series against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.

Harry Brook has said he wants to be a captain that "England fans and the team rely on", as the one-year anniversary approaches of his altercation with a bouncer at a nightclub in New Zealand. Brook was overlooked for the Test captaincy after Ben Stokes' international retirement this summer, and he has previously admitted he could have been sacked as white-ball skipper for the incident in Wellington, which occurred hours before an ODI against the Black Caps on Halloween last year.

Since then, Brook has stabilised England's 50-over side, with the team winning their last three series after losing seven of eight prior, while his T20 team currently top the world rankings. With just under a year until the 50-over World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, Brook's ODI average as skipper is 51.3 per innings, compared to 25.2 without the captaincy.

Learning from captaincy

Brook told the Press Association ahead of England's ODI against Pakistan on Tuesday: "I've learnt a lot as a captain, I've learnt a lot as a person." He added that responsibilities and leadership extend off the field as well as on it, and that he enjoys the extra pressure and wants to be the man in match-winning situations.

Asked about Stokes' recent comment that his Test average of 53.08 should be as high as 65 or 70, Brook laughed and said he is not bothered about stats. He said he judges himself on whether he has had a match-winning impact in a game and tallies it up at the end of the year.

I've learnt a lot as a captain, I've learnt a lot as a person

— Harry Brook

Tri-series in Pakistan

Brook's immediate focus is England's tri-series against hosts Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which also involves Sri Lanka. England open against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, with every team playing each other twice and the top two contesting the final on Halloween.

The injured Jos Buttler and rested Jofra Archer are missing from England's 16-strong squad, while Rehan Ahmed was overlooked for fellow leg-spinner Mason Crane, more than eight years after his last appearance for England. Brook said the series offers great experience and that the squad is trending in the right direction as they build towards the 2027 World Cup.