England's white-ball captain Harry Brook has admitted that he was not truthful about the circumstances surrounding an altercation at the end of a Halloween night out in Wellington, accepting that he claimed to be alone to harbour teammates from scrutiny. The latest comments have added another layer of controversy to an episode that has already resulted in massive disciplinary action, just days before England begin their T20 World Cup campaign.
Brook was struck by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington in the early hours following the Halloween celebrations last year. When the incident first came to light, Brook told officials he had been on his own at the time. He has now admitted that he had lied in order to protect fellow England players who were also present that evening.
"I accept responsibility for my actions in Wellington and acknowledge that others were present that evening," Brook said.
"I regret my previous comments and my intention was to protect my team-mates from being drawn into a situation that arose as a result of my own decisions. I have apologised and will continue to reflect on the matter. This has been a challenging period in my career, but one from which I am learning.”
The Telegraph on Friday reported that Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue were also slapped with fines and are being investigated by the England management. Notably, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has already fined Brook and issued him with a final warning over his conduct. Currently, England are in Sri Lanka participating in a three-match T20I series which comes days ahead of the T20I World Cup that will begin on February 7 and is set to be cohosted by India and Sri Lanka.