‘It’s time to focus on what’s more important’ Brook ready to move on from nightclub incident

Mumbai, Feb 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) England captain Harry Brook has admitted that the past few weeks have been difficult following the controversy around his visit to a Wellington nightclub, but added that he now wants to move on and focus on the T20 World Cup 2026, where he will captain the side for the first time in an ICC tournament.

England begins their T20 World Cup campaign against Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. However, their preparations have been affected by the attention around Brook’s off-field issue.

The incident came to light in early January, when it was revealed that the 26-year-old had an altercation with a nightclub bouncer before leading England in a match against New Zealand in November. Brook apologised for his behaviour and also admitted later that he had lied to the media when he initially said no other England players were present.

Ahead of the World Cup start, Brook has admitted that the past few months have been rough for him.

“It has been pretty horrendous, to be honest, but that is part of it. It has just been tough. People have been able to support me around the group,” he told the BBC.

Brook was fined by the England and Wales Cricket Board and issued a final warning for his conduct following the altercation with the bouncer.

Brook said the episode has taught him important lessons about leadership, and he will be more aware of his actions in the future.

'I’ve definitely learnt there’s a hell of a lot more responsibility on your shoulders when you’re captain. When you’re a leader, you can’t take that responsibility lightly," he said.

“You have got to lead from the front on and off the field, and anything you do can really turn against you, so you have got to be on the ball pretty much all of the time," the skipper added.

Brook asserted that the situation has not affected his batting and he is in good touch ahead of the tournament.

“Thankfully, I’m fairly good at hitting a ball, so I don’t think it has affected me,” he said

“It’s weird, as a professional sportsman, when you get out to the wicket, and you’re a batter, everything just seems to float away, and you don’t even know what’s going on. All you're focusing on is that cricket ball," he added.

England are placed in the C group alongside the West Indies, Scotland, Nepal, and Italy as they aim for their third T20 World Cup title.

England comes into the World Cup in strong form, having won 10 of their last 11 T20 matches. They recently completed a 3-0 series win in Sri Lanka, where they will also play their Super 8 matches if they qualify.

Source: IANS