Harry Brook in Wellington for an ODI match against New Zealand. Photo / Photosport
England cricketer Harry Brook has admitted he lied in his confession over his nightclub clash with a bouncer after it emerged Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue were also present.
Telegraph Sport revealed Bethell and Tongue were fined by the England management and, along with Brook, are being investigated by the Cricket Regulator after the events of that evening in Wellington in October.
Brook had initially insisted publicly that he was on his own when he was “clocked” by the bouncer. However, after England’s six-wicket victory in the opening T20 against Sri Lanka, the England white-ball captain admitted that he had not told the truth, in the hope of protecting his teammates.
“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 teammates 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.
“I recognise that I have more to learn regarding the off-field responsibilities that come with leadership and captaincy. I remain committed to developing in this area and to improving both personally and professionally.”
Brook was given a final warning and fined about £30,000 ($68,000) for an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in the early hours of the morning on the day of the final ODI against New Zealand.
“We went out for a couple of drinks beforehand and then I took it upon myself to go out for a few more and I was on my own there. Like I said, I shouldn’t have been there. I’ve made that terrible mistake, I’ve reflected on it and hopefully I can move on,” Brook said last week in Sri Lanka in his first public comments about the issue, when he also revealed he only told England management about the incident during the match.
A group of England players were filmed by a supporter drinking in a rooftop bar on the evening in question. Both Tongue and Bethell can be seen in the video along with Brook.
The Cricket Regulator has decided to launch an investigation after receiving paperwork from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) last week and the players could face disrepute charges if the regulator believes there is enough evidence.
The regulator monitors compliance with the game’s regulations and sits at arm’s length from the ECB. Chris Haward, a former chief constable of Lincolnshire Police, is its director.
The Cricket Regulator has the power to fine or suspend players for a wide variety of disciplinary offences and was set up in 2023. Misconduct falls under its scope along with corruption, discrimination and doping offences.
Bethell also played in the ODI that began hours after the Brook incident with the bouncer, but Tongue did not. He was only in New Zealand to train and tune up with the squad before the Ashes tour.
Bethell scored 11 in the ODI in Wellington and was part of a collapse in which England slumped to 44/5. Tongue did not play for England until the third test in Australia. The pair were arguably England’s best two players during the Ashes whereas Brook failed to deliver to his usual standards.
Brook came close to losing the one-day captaincy over what happened in Wellington and received the biggest fine allowed under the terms of England central contracts as well as a final warning.
He apologised to his teammates and accepted he “had work to do” to win back their trust. He also apologised to England fans but rejected suggestions there is a drinking culture within the England team. It is surprising, however, that the management signed off on the mid-Ashes series break in Noosa knowing that disciplinary proceedings had taken place over drinking in New Zealand.
“I don’t think there’s a drinking culture at all. We’re all old enough and grown up enough to be able to say no if we don’t want to drink, and grown up enough to be able to say yes if you do want a drink,” Brook said.
A self-imposed midnight curfew has been placed on the players during their current tour to Sri Lanka and the forthcoming Twenty20 World Cup, which is jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
The culture of the England team will form a large part of the outcome of the post-Ashes review being conducted by the ECB’s chief executive Richard Gould and chairman Richard Thompson.
At this stage, it is likely Rob Key, the director of the England team, will keep his job although the future of Brendon McCullum, the head coach, is less clear.
McCullum has not commented on the Brook incident or spoken to the media since the end of the Ashes series in Sydney.
The ECB declined to comment.