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LONDON, April 7 (Reuters) – England batter Harry Brook has been appointed the country’s white-ball captain after Jos Buttler stepped down after their group stage exit from the ICC Champions Trophy, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Monday.
“It’s a real honour to be named England’s white-ball captain,” Brook, 26, said in a statement. “I’m excited to get going and give it everything I’ve got.”
Brook captained England in the ODI series against Australia in September and was vice-captain at the Champions Trophy.
His first outing as permanent captain will come in three home T20Is and three ODIs against West Indies at the end of May.
Brook has played 26 ODIs for England, scoring 816 runs, while he has made 44 T20 appearances and was part of the team that won T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022.
While there was talk of England’s test captain Ben Stokes being chosen for the role, Brook was the logical choice to allow Stokes to focus on his fitness and Ashes series later this year.
“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,” England men’s managing director Rob Key said in a statement.
“He’s 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.”
Brook takes over with England still licking their wounds after a woeful Champions Trophy campaign in which they lost all three of their games, including a defeat by Afghanistan.
Buttler had overseen 22 losses in 34 One-Day Internationals since succeeding the retired Eoin Morgan in June 2022.
“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,” Brook said.
“There’s so much talent in this country, and I’m looking forward to getting started, moving us forward.”
Brook is also a key figure in England’s test team and has established himself as the number two batsman behind Joe Root with an average of 58 from his 40 innings.
He pulled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Delhi Capitals in March, saying his priority was playing for England. (Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru and Martyn Herman in London Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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