The most damaging aspect of the Harry Brook nightclub bouncer imbroglio in Wellington is the fact it makes the England set-up look loose, unserious, dishonest and amateurish.
There are genuine questions about whether Brook should continue as his country’s white-ball captain after he admitted lying about being on his own when “clocked” after being refused entry to a club the night before a one-day international against New Zealand back in October.
The original transgression was bad enough. Covering it up makes it worse. England had the opportunity to be transparent and honest when, after more than two months, the initial cover-up was exposed in the hours after the 4-1 Ashes series defeat was confirmed in Sydney.
They chose not to, with an England & Wales Cricket Board spokesperson confirming only: “We are aware of this incident and it has been dealt with through a formal and confidential ECB disciplinary process. The player involved has apologised and acknowledged their conduct fell below expectations on this occasion.”
Note the singular when referring to “the player involved”. Brook had been fined £30,000 and given a final warning as to his future conduct. Now we know he wasn’t on his own, with Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue also punished for accompanying their captain on his late-night expedition.
Josh Tongue (L) and Jacob Bethell (R) were said to be with Brook (Photo: Getty)The fact this public relations fiasco put Brook in a position where he had to lie when faced with the media at the start of the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka last week is a disgrace. “I took it upon myself to go out for a few more and I was on my own there,” he said on 21 January.
Nine days later Brook admitted: “I accept responsibility for my actions in Wellington and acknowledge that others were present that evening. I regret my previous comments and my intention was to protect my team-mates from being drawn into a situation that arose as a result of my own decisions.”
squareCHRIS STOCKSHarry Brook's ‘embarrassing' behaviour leaves England without a future captain
Read More
Honourable intentions from Brook, who looks like he was put in an impossible position.
But this whole sorry episode not only undermines his leadership credentials but those of everyone else in the set-up.
The fact the Cricket Regulator, a body independent of the ECB, are now investigating Brook, Bethell and Tongue for potentially bringing the game into disrepute speaks volumes.
Now, though, the story is way bigger than just Brook, with the whole culture of the team rightly being brought into question.
This must be final nail in McCullum’s coffin
That the set-up is loose is nothing new. The booze-fuelled Noosa “stag do” in the break between the second and third Ashes Tests illustrated that. It’s why when speaking before the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne Rob Key, England’s managing director, was asked about a drinking culture within the squad.
Key was asked specifically about the night out in Wellington after Brook and Bethell had been photographed by a punter drinking in the Dirty Little Secret rooftop bar in New Zealand’s capital.
“I think that was a bit of a wake-up call actually,” he said. “I don’t mind players having a glass of wine over dinner. Anything more than that, I think is ridiculous, really.”
Asked if any formal disciplinary action had been taken against the players, Key said: “No. There wasn’t any action, like formal action. We’ve had four years where we’ve had none of these issues really, with any of the players. And there’s a whole process that we put in place for stuff like that for what you do if they’re out of line. And I didn’t feel like that was worthy of formal warnings.”
squareCHRIS STOCKSBrendon McCullum must be sacked - his contract was an expensive mistake
Read More
We now know that the incident with the bouncer, which Brook informed team management of midway through the ODI defeat against New Zealand the next day, had been reported to the ECB.
If Key didn’t know about it, why not?
As for coach Brendon McCullum. This is what he said immediately after the Ashes series finished in Sydney a few weeks ago when directly asked if the team drank too much. “Half our guys don’t have a drink to be honest,” he said. “They’ll have a couple of beers every now and again. I think people do that in most walks of life.”
We don’t know exactly who knew what and when. But there would surely be a reasonable expectation that the managing director and coach of the team should have known about this incident.
Most damningly for Key, who was expected to be safe in his role when the post-Ashes review concludes in the next few weeks, and McCullum is the fact that Brook felt it was acceptable, as captain, to go out late at night hours before representing his country in an international fixture. That this all took place on the eve of an Ashes series in Australia makes it even worse.
What does that say about the culture of the team? To me, it says it’s unserious and unprofessional. Given McCullum is the man who sets the tone for the whole set-up, this embarrassing affair should be the final nail in the coffin for the New Zealander.
If he remains as coach, it would be the worst decision of a calamitous winter that has been littered with poor choices.
Hence then, the article about the harry brook cover up makes brendon mccullum s position untenable was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( The Harry Brook cover-up makes Brendon McCullum’s position untenable )
Also on site :