Geoffrey Boycott has urged England "not to rush" making Harry Brook ODI captain and instead to focus on the make-up of their 50-over side in the wake of their disastrous Champions Trophy campaign.
Writing in his column for The Telegraph, the former England opener also asserted that England's white-ball set-up has felt "too comfortable" and that it could do with "a kick up the backside".
England crashed out of the Champions Trophy having lost all three of their games, conceding their third ICC white-ball tournament disaster in as many campaigns. Jos Buttler resigned as captain after the loss to Afghanistan which sealed their fate in the tournament, with Brook the odds on favourite to be given the job on a permanent basis, after he stepped in for Buttler during England's home series against Australia last summer. However, Boycott has warned against making the 26-year-old the full-time captain of the side.
Boycott: Brook hasn't mastered ODI cricket
"Making him [Brook] captain in the 50-over team would be a gamble," wrote Boycott. "Because he has not mastered that type of cricket yet. Would he grow into it and would it help him bat with more maturity so the team benefit?
"My view would be do not rush it. It is more important to decide on the make-up of the England team going forward and if there is no one who stands out as captain then look for a stop-gap leader who can inspire and get more out of these players.
Harry Brook is the favourite to take over England's ODI captaincy after Jos Buttler stepped down.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) March 2, 2025
Skipper or not though, England's ODI rebuild hinges upon unlocking his potential with the bat, writes Katya Witney.
Read: https://t.co/WVUbJwQkid pic.twitter.com/hUKlVL1RGc
"Brook is wasting his talent in 50 overs. He bats as if it is T20 and tries to hit every ball. Why do the coach and his coaching staff not sit down and explain to him that in 50 overs you have more time than you think to fashion an innings of substance."
In addition to his stance on Brook's future leadership of the side, Boycott also criticised Phil Salt as a 50-over player, after the opener was out cheaply in every innings he played in the tournament. The move to promote Jamie Smith to No.3 also came in for criticism, with Boycott labelling the decision "ridiculous".
He did not advocate for England to completely move on from Liam Livingstone, however, asking whether the lower-order all-rounder knew what his role was. Livingstone batted at No.7 for England during the tournament, having moved back down the order after batting at No.5 during the winter against the West Indies, where he scored 124* in his second innings in the position.
Boycott: Livingstone rarely delivers
"He [Livingstone] comes in whatever the state of the game and whacks a couple of boundaries and then gets out," wrote Boycott. "There is a lot of talk about how destructive a hitter he is but for me he rarely delivers.
"I think he and Brook need a talking to and to be told to start reading match situations, start thinking and delivering more. They cannot carry on batting only one way and just throwing the bat at the ball. Yes they will succeed occasionally but to be a top batsman you must have more successes than failures.
"Move Brook up to No.3 and tell him he has to accept more responsibility and start batting, not thrashing at every ball... Livingstone should move up to No.5 and someone explain to him that England need more. There is a limit to how long you can wait for the penny to drop. It is sink-or-swim time now."
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