Good news: Harry Brook has rediscovered his timing.
Just as India were gearing up to lift the Champions Trophy, the 50-over consolation crown that nevertheless would put some sort of gloss on the careers of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, handed over by new ICC chair Jay Shah with no representative from ‘host’ board PCB in sight, came the news that one of the best and most marketable international stars in the game would not be gilding their showpiece tournament. India’s triumph now had a competing story to share the limelight.
Forget for a moment Brook’s limp 2025 thus far, the issues against spin that are yet to be solved. This is a big deal, and a big loss for a competition that normally lures everyone it wants, the calendar bent around it like a knot in a tree trunk. The IPL will still thrive, but it’s possible to sense here a slight shifting of the priorities, a realignment, in England at least, of what matters most to the players who matter most.
First, let’s examine why Brook has made this decision. A statement, ready to go even as the story was broken by ESPNcricinfo, pointed straightforwardly to a “need to recharge” after a busy winter, with the end of this year looming large as decisive for the legacy of this England team. “My country remains my priority and my focus,” it read.
Brook rarely veers from saying exactly what’s on his mind, and there’s little to doubt him here. He has played basically every game for England he could have since his last break from the sport to be with his family before and after the death of his grandmother, captaining his country and experiencing extreme, sapping highs and wrenching lows in that time. This winter will define the legacy of this England era, with ten Tests in a row against India and Australia. If not now, when?
🗣️ "It'll be a popular decision among the fans and supporters here." 🏴@markbutcher72 on Harry Brook's withdrawal from the 2025 IPL. pic.twitter.com/J5YhrxaJz7
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) March 13, 2025
But there’s also more to it. Not mentioned, but surely relevant, is the vacant England white-ball captaincy. The decision is not yet made, Ben Stokes sending simply a ‘thumbs up’ emoji to Rob Key after hearing he was in consideration, but this counts as a statement of intent. Brook wants this, and will do what it takes to get it. Even if now isn’t his moment, evident in his IPL exit are the facets of his character that will make him a hugely popular England captain in time, with a natural sense of the national mood and what is needed to shift it. At a time when the England team’s relationship with its public is fraying, their commitment and desire under question, it’s hard to conceive of a move more primed to get them back onside. “I know not everyone will understand,” said Brook in his statement, “and I don't expect them to.” The ambivalence with which he regards his Indian supporters is visible in that final clause, and with it, you can sense England’s fans feeling themselves elevated.
The monetary aspect too has also seen Brook lauded at home, giving up a salary in excess of £600,000 by missing the IPL, with a ban from the next two editions also denting his pocket. It’s country over cash, but it’s also evidence of Brook showing the perspective and clarity to look at the bigger picture, to see beyond the next game and the next paycheque at how he wants his career and life to unfold. Implicit is an understanding of his own worth as a cricketer, and also what that worth is based on. There’s a short-term hit to the wallet, but your currency is how good you are, and so every move should be geared towards making you the best that you can be. The best cricketing decision is the best financial decision. It’s likely any future earnings potential didn’t factor much into Brook’s thought process, and ironically, that’s part of what will earn him millions when his ban does expire.
Brook’s move, prioritising England and English cricket, comes as the scales are rebalancing somewhat, leaning away from a ‘play as much as you can, earn as much as you can’ philosophy, often at the expense of the county clubs players had grown up in and called home, and towards something more measured. The ECB’s dramatic shift of policy regarding participation in overseas leagues that clash with the English summer was met with grumbles and threats, but no exodus has happened as yet. This policy, in its way, mirrors the BCCI’s in banning Brook: if you’re going to mess our competitions around, we’re not going to have you.
Brook has shown that, for the best and smartest, it’s a compromise they would arrive at anyway.
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