Pallekele, Sri Lanka : England head coach Brendon McCullum has praised white-ball captain Harry Brook for his leadership and composure in guiding the team to a series victory in Sri Lanka, saying the batter handled recent off-field controversy with maturity ahead of the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup.
Brook has been under scrutiny since reports emerged of an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand late last year. The 26-year-old apologised last month for the Oct. 31 incident, which he said had embarrassed him and the team.
Despite the distraction, England won the one-day international series in Sri Lanka 2-1 and swept the Twenty20 series 3-0, providing momentum as they prepare for the global tournament.
“He’s had a hard time of late off the field, but he’s a tough lad to be able to put that aside and still lead these boys in the manner that he did,” McCullum said after England’s victory in the final T20 on Tuesday. “To show the tactical nous that he has as a cricketer was outstanding.
“I do sometimes think that people think that Brook’s not that clever. I couldn’t disagree with that more. He wears his intelligence lightly. He’s got a very good tactical cricket brain.”
McCullum said Brook, who was fined by the England and Wales Cricket Board for his conduct in New Zealand, still needed to improve his behaviour, while stressing the mental pressures players face in a demanding international calendar.
“He’s a work in progress off the field,” McCullum added. “But on the field, he’s certainly excelling at the moment. Cricket is played 12 months of the year and that can be challenging mentally, so our job as leaders is to make sure we look after these boys.”
England will begin their bid for a third Twenty20 World Cup title with a Group C match against Nepal in Mumbai on Sunday.
