Harry Brook: England Test captaincy would be 'honour and privilege' as he eyes all-format role

Brook's declaration

Harry Brook has publicly stated his willingness to take over as England's Test captain, calling it "an honour and a privilege" and the "pinnacle of our sport". Speaking at a press conference in Durham on the eve of the first T20 against India, the 27-year-old said he would not turn down the role if offered.

“I don't think you can turn down being an England Test captain. It would be an honour and a privilege to be Test captain - the pinnacle of our sport.”

Brook, already England's white-ball captain, served as Test vice-captain under Ben Stokes and was endorsed by the retiring skipper.

The captaincy landscape

Stokes retired from international cricket during the third Test against New Zealand, which concluded on 29 June. He gave his "100% backing" to Brook as his successor. The only other obvious candidate is Joe Root, who captained the Test side from 2017 to 2022 and stood in for the second Test earlier in June when Stokes was unavailable. Brook supported that decision, calling Root "the best batter to have ever played Test cricket". The last man to lead England in all three formats was Andrew Strauss, briefly in 2009. The ECB opted not to ask Brook to captain that second Test, a decision he agreed with, citing his own nightclub incident in Wellington last October.

Schedule and workload

Brook's schedule underscores the demands of a multi-format captain. The Test series against New Zealand ended on Monday, and he leads the T20 side against India on Wednesday at Chester-le-Street. He acknowledged the job would be tough but pointed to his decision to forgo overseas franchise leagues, including the IPL and PSL, as freeing up his calendar.

“I've committed completely to England cricket. I've said I don't want to play any franchise cricket barring the Hundred. Whatever I do, on and off the field, is to try and perform as well as I possibly can for England.”

Brook also said he believes captaining all three formats is possible, noting that periods without franchise cricket allow him to focus on fitness and preparation.

What's next

The ECB has time to decide, with England's next Test series not until August, when Pakistan visit for three matches. Brook will first focus on the five-match T20 series against India, which begins on 1 July. Head coach Brendon McCullum, who works across all formats, has a strong rapport with Brook but stopped short of anointing him as Stokes' successor.

“If I am or I'm not captain for England in Test cricket, I'd be happy to just still be playing for England.”