In his first media interaction since taking over as England white-ball captain, Harry Brook has made it clear that the national team is his top-most priority.
This Monday (April 7), the ECB announced Brook as Jos Buttler's successor to the white-ball captaincy, after Buttler had resigned following a disappointing Champions Trophy campaign.
Touted as a potential all-format superstar, Brook has already started to make good on that promise in Test and T20 cricket as he continues to navigate the challenge of ODIs. He was seen as the standout candidate to succeed Buttler, perhaps because he is a sure starter in both of England's white-ball teams.
On Wednesday (April 9), Brook interacted with reporters at Headingley, his home ground.
'I'd lose a little money here and there to play for England'
"England is the way forward for me and franchise cricket can almost take a step back for a little while," Brook told the BBC. "I enjoy playing cricket for England more than anything else, so to lose a little bit of money here and there – I'd take that any day to play for England."
A few weeks before the confirmation of his appointment as skipper, Brook had pulled out of the Indian Premier League for the second season in a row, and now risks a ban from the competition for two years, as well as potentially large paydays. This year, he had been set to earn INR 6.25 crore (roughly £564,000) to play for the Delhi Capitals.
Brook's first assignment as skipper will be a home series against the West Indies consisting of three ODIs and three T20Is, which comes on the back of a five-Test home series against India. Brook will not be captain for that series, but at this point is expected to play all five Tests. While his participation in foreign franchise leagues is set to be curbed, he should still take part in this year's Hundred that follows the West Indies series. There are also white-ball series against South Africa and Ireland to round out the summer.
"I'd like to play every game but if I require a week off and that's the best thing going forward for my game, then I'm sure I'll be allowed a week off," he added.
Brook: Ashes still the pinnacle of cricket for me
"The Ashes is still the pinnacle of cricket for me," mentioned Brook. England will take on Australia Down Under this winter, in a series they enter as second-favourites.
Elaborating on his preferred style of captaincy, Brook said, "I want us to go out there and be very competitive, very aggressive and be 100% committed to what we're trying to achieve.
"I want players who naturally put the best bowlers under pressure from their best ball to their worst ball, to be able to manipulate the field at different stages of the game and be able to score big runs, especially in one-day cricket.
"As a bowler, I want them to work towards modes of dismissals, be able to get every batter out in the world, have a plan to each batter and then be able to have the skills to bowl to any field to any plan at any time in the game."
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