Harry Brook has been appointed England’s new white-ball captain after it was decided that Ben Stokes’s fitness must be protected for his Test team’s Ashes tilt.
Brook, 26, was Jos Buttler’s vice-captain in the final months of his frustrating three-year reign, and has now been confirmed as his successor.
Rob Key, England’s managing director, said when Buttler stepped down that England would be “stupid” not to consider Test captain Stokes as his successor, despite him not playing an ODI since November 2023 or a T20 since November 2022. Stokes has also largely given up franchise cricket in order to prioritise his fitness for Test cricket.
It is understood that handing Stokes, who is 34 in June, the ODI captaincy was given serious consideration by Key and head coach Brendon McCullum, who concluded after assessing his fitness that he would so rarely be available for bilateral matches, he was not a viable candidate.
There is no global ODI tournament until autumn 2027 in South Africa, by which point Stokes will be 36, and Brook will be an experienced international and captain.
This leaves Stokes, in the latter part of his career with injuries mounting, to concentrate on the Test team in a year that features five-Test series at home to India and away to Australia. Since becoming captain he has contended with a chronic knee issue and two series hamstring tears, the second of which he is currently recovering from.
Stokes celebrated the news, posting “Yes Brooky lad”, on social media.
Brook has played 70 white-ball internationals (26 ODIs, 44 T20s) since his debut three years ago, and impressed on the occasions he stepped in for Buttler. He has also captained his county, Yorkshire, and Hundred franchise, Northern Superchargers when available between England duties.
Brook’s is not a totally straightforward appointment. England’s busy schedule means he will not be available to play every game in every format, meaning Key and McCullum will need to groom other leaders to stand in for lower-profile series.
The tour of India and the Champions Trophy in Pakistan earlier this year ultimately doomed Buttler’s captaincy. But it also saw Brook experience a major form dip as his struggles on spinning pitches continued. In the aftermath, he pulled out of the Indian Premier League for the second successive season (in 2024 he was mourning the death of his paternal grandmother Pauline, with whom he was very close, and this year he chose to prioritise England). This has landed him a two-year ban from the IPL, which simplifies his England schedule.
“It’s a real honour to be named England’s white-ball captain. Ever since I was a kid playing cricket at Burley in Wharfedale, I dreamed of representing Yorkshire, playing for England, and maybe one day leading the team. To now be given that chance means a great deal to me.
“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.
“There’s so much talent in this country, and I’m looking forward to getting started, moving us forward, and working towards winning series, World Cups and major events.
“I’m excited to get going and give it everything I’ve got.”
Brook’s first assignment as captain will be against West Indies in May, following a one-off Test against Zimbabwe. He will lead England to the T20 World Cup in India next spring, with the next major ODI tournament coming in late 2027 in South Africa.
Key admitted that Brook’s opportunity as white-ball skipper had arrived sooner than England had expected.
“I’m delighted that Harry Brook has accepted the role as England’s white-ball captain across both formats,” he said. “He’s been part of our succession planning for some time, albeit this opportunity has come slightly earlier than expected.
“Harry is not only an outstanding cricketer, but also has an excellent cricketing brain and a clear vision for both teams that will help drive us towards winning more series, World Cups and major global tournaments.”
Analysis: Brook is the right call, but still a risk
England have been wise not to overburden their prized asset Ben Stokes with the white-ball captaincy in such an important year for the Test team.
Stokes is almost 34 and the injuries are piling up. Each one is more difficult to come back from. The last thing Stokes needed was for another job on his already full plate. This year’s Test cricket will define the legacy of the whole project, which is led by MD Rob Key, coach Brendon McCullum and Stokes. The captain needs to concentrate on his primary task.
That is not to say appointing Brook comes without risk. He is England’s best all-format batsman, and one of the first names on the team sheet whenever available.
He is currently second on the ICC’s Test rankings, and has the game to be a great of the white-ball game, too. But as yet, he has not consistently hit the heights in ODIs or T20s that he has in Test cricket. He is still working out the rhythms of 50-over cricket, where batting in the middle overs is tricky, and building a game against spin.
Now, he has to worry about running a team as well as his own game. The risk for England is that he is burdened, and it starts to seep into his Test game. Brook’s batting is almost as important to the Test team’s chances against India and Australia as Stokes.
