Harry Brook has been England’s white-ball captain for some time now, and he acknowledges it’s a tough job. Brook captained in the T20 World Cup earlier this year, and the team reached the semis. Recently, they thrashed India, their slayer in that last-four match in March, in T20Is (4-0) and ODIs (2-1). With the advent of franchise leagues all over the world, there is non-stop cricket going on, but the pressure of representing and captaining your international team is something else. Brook is still in action in the Hundred, but compared to international cricket, it’s kind of a walk in the park.
“Captaining is bloody hard. It takes a lot out of you. The way we played against India was awesome, but at the end of it, I was tired. And I was glad that I was coming back [to the Hundred] just as a batter,” Brook told Cricinfo.
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Brook’s Sunrisers Leeds, based in Headingley, are up against Manchester Super Giants in the Eliminator on Friday. A win will take them into the final against Trent Rockets. “It’s nice to be here while this competition is on, seeing as it’s my home ground and I’ve been travelling quite a lot already this summer – It’s good to be back home and spend time with family,” he said.
The Root connection
The 27-year-old also spoke of England Test captain Joe Root in glowing terms. Root, after Ben Stokes’ sudden international retirement in late June, was brought back to England captaincy, and to all intents and purposes, he beat Brook to it.
Brook and Root play for Yorkshire when they can. Brook recalls his relationship with Root over the years. “I remember bowling to him for the first time in the nets down in the car park when I was 14; I don’t know why he was facing me. Obviously, they thought that I was a decent player, and to go and watch him in the nets before a game would be a good idea. I went and had a little trundle to him. He’s a pretty cool bloke and a good lad to have around.
“I’ve played a hell of a lot of cricket with him now, and obviously played a fair amount for Yorkshire with him. And it just happens, doesn’t it? You spend more time with someone and have more conversations about the game, getting to know them more and even away from cricket, playing golf and going for coffee or whatever, it’s always good to spend time with him, and he’s a good lad and a good friend of mine,” he said.