Harry Brook makes shocking statement, puts teammates under scanner

PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka (AP) — England white-ball captain Harry Brook admitted on Friday to lying to protect teammates who were with him when a nightclub bouncer hit him in New Zealand.

Brook originally said this month he was alone when he tried to enter the nightclub in Wellington on Oct. 31, the day before the third and last one-day international against New Zealand.

But after the Telegraph newspaper reported on Friday that teammates Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue were fined for their involvement and being investigated by the cricket regulator, Brook confessed he was not alone in a statement released after England beat Sri Lanka in a T20I match.

“I accept responsibility for my actions in Wellington and acknowledge that others were present that evening,” Brook said.

“I regret my previous comments, and my intention was to protect my teammates from being drawn into a situation that arose as a result of my own decisions.

“I have apologized and will continue to reflect on the matter. This has been a challenging period in my career, but one from which I am learning.”

Brook was fined and given a final warning over his conduct for the Wellington incident. But it wasn’t revealed until this month, after the Ashes series, that England lost 4-1 in Australia.

Brook apologized at the time to teammates and supporters, and again before the ongoing Sri Lanka tour.

The England and Wales Cricket Board was reviewing incidents involving England players’ drinking on tour in New Zealand and Australia, which have prompted a midnight curfew for the players while in the subcontinent.