Harry Brook Leads England in ODI Series After Nightclub Incident Apology

Star batter Harry Brook will continue to lead the side, whereas the playing XI also features veteran players like Joe Root, wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler and leg-spinner Adil Rashid.

Ahead of the first ODI, Harry Brook admitted that he is fortunate enough to captain England after he described his altercation with a nightclub bouncer the night before a one-day international against New Zealand in November. The incident resulted in Brook being fined and warned by the ECB.

During the pre-match press conference, Brook revealed he took it upon himself to go out alone in Wellington and was clocked by a bouncer as he tried to get into a nightclub.

"I made a terrible mistake, not only as a player, but as a captain. It's very unprofessional, and I should be leading from the front and showing the players how it should be as a professional cricketer and a captain, and I put myself in a bad situation," Brook said, as quoted by SKY Sports.

"I want to say sorry to my team-mates, to all the fans that travel far and wide and spend a lot of money to watch us play cricket. We went out for a couple of drinks beforehand, and then I took it upon myself to go out for a few more, and I was on my own there, he added."

The three-match ODI series between England and Sri Lanka will be held at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium. After the conclusion of the ODI series, both countries will face each other in three T20Is, which will also serve as preparation for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, starting next month. The three-match T20I series will be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekele, starting January 30.

England playing XI for first ODI against Sri Lanka:

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Will Jacks, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid.

- ANI