With just four days remaining for the IND vs ENG Test, the England cricket team has suffered a massive blow. Star batter Harry Brook has opted out of the five-match Test series in India due to personal reasons, giving the ECB a massive headache.
Harry Brook trained with the England team in Abu Dhabi in the build-up to the IND vs ENG series and even arrived in India. However, due to family reasons, he had to rush back. The batter has been ruled out of the entire series, which will be played from 25th January to 11th March across five different venues in India.
It is suspected that Harry Brook got a family emergency and that’s why he had to travel back home. England and Wales Cricket Board released an official statement, confirming about the development and also urged fans to give privacy to the Brook family in the tough times.
Releasing the official statement, ECB stated:
“Harry Brook is set to return home with immediate effect for personal reasons from the England Men’s Test tour of India. He will not be returning to India. The Brook family respectfully requests privacy during this time. In light of this, the ECB and the family kindly request the media and the public to respect their wish for privacy and refrain from intruding on their private space.”
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The England and Wales Cricket Board are yet to announce the replacement of Harry Brook for the IND vs ENG series. However, they confirmed that they will be announcing a replacement in due course of time as the England tour to India progresses.
It will be a huge blow for England as Harry Brook has been their best batter in the Tests of late. The young sensational since the last few years has set the stage on fire and he has been one of the main reasons behind team’s success in the longest format of the game.
Harry Brook, who bats in the middle over, with his aggressive mindset has changed the course of the game many times for England. The batter has slammed 1181 runs in just 12 Tests so far at an average of 62.15. He also has 4 hundreds to his name.
Harry Brook’s attacking approach in the middle order could’ve been vital for England in the upcoming IND vs ENG series. His battle against Indian spinners could’ve proved out to be a turning point in the game. It remains to be seen now who will replace him in the team.
IND vs ENG: Revised England squad for the Tests against India
IND vs ENG: Here’s Revised England squad for the Tests against India:
Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Shoaib Bashir, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood.