England team's director of cricket Robert Key revealed that he has been in ECB's succession plans for a while
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday has appointed Harry Brook as the England men’s team’s new white-ball captain.
Brook will succeed Jos Buttler who stepped down from his role earlier this year following the team’s group-stage exit in the Champions Trophy 2025.
Brook was appointed England’s white-ball vice-captain in January ahead of the India series. By that time the youngster had already seen himself in leadership roles, having captained England in the ODI series against Australia and being named deputy to Ollie Pope for the home Test series against Sri Lanka in August last year.
Even before that, Brook was named captain of Northern Superchargers in The Hundred. He led the team to five wins and two losses as they lost on a playoffs berth due to inferior Net Run Rate to Southern Brave.
“I want to thank my family and coaches who’ve supported me every step of the way. Their belief in me has made all the difference and I wouldn’t be in this position without them,” Brook said in a statement.
“I’m delighted that Harry Brook has accepted the role as England’s white-ball captain across both formats. He’s been part of our succession planning for some time, albeit this opportunity has come slightly earlier than expected,” ECB’s director of men’s cricket said.
Brook has been a sensation for England in Tests and ODIs since making his debut in 2022.
In the last three seasons, the 26-year-old has amassed 3,895 international runs across three formats and registered a score of 317 against Pakistan in Multan last year which is the fifth highest Test score by an Englishman.
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Even though it was apparent that Brook would succeed Buttler, Key had also suggested the name of injury-ridden Test captain Ben Stokes for the post.
England’s white-ball credentials are in shambles after winning two ICC trophies with the 2019 ODI World Cup at home and 2022 ODI World Cup in Australia. Under Buttler, England had lost 25 out of 44 ODIs and won only 18. In T20Is, they had won 26 matches but also lost 22 of the 51 matches under his captaincy.
Brook’s first outing as England’s official skipper will be the three ODIs and three T20Is against West Indies at home from May 29 to June 10.
Ahead of the Indian Premier League 2025, Brook was bought by Delhi Capitals in the November auction for a price of INR 6.25 crore. However, he was banned by the league for two years for pulling out to focus on the national team. Last year, the Yorkshire batter had pulled out due to familial reasons.
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