Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, Rob Key, has explained why the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced Joe Root as England’s interim Test captain over Harry Brook, who has been Ben Stokes‘ deputy since September 2025.
Why Joe Root over Harry Brook
Key highlighted how Root, who is England’s most-capped Test captain, has always stood up when it matters the most. The ECB doesn’t think Brook, who is England’s current white-ball captain, is ready to take the reins of the side just yet. They want Brook to direct his entire focus on batting in red-ball cricket and captaincy in the shorter formats.
“That’s the decision we came to. The Test captaincy is a massive job, even on an interim basis, especially going into this next Test match and everything Harry would have to deal with – plus the fact Harry is getting his head around white-ball cricket as well as being one of the best Test batters in the world.
It just didn’t feel like that was the right time, for a number of different reasons. English cricket is incredibly fortunate to have Joe Root. English cricket has relied on him, not just as a batter. Every time you’re 10 for 2, Joe is the man that gets England out of a hole, and he’s doing that again for us. Yet again, Joe doesn’t question anything when you ask him to do something,” Key told the BBC.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Anjum Naveed via AlamyThe bouncer incident last year
While Key’s reasoning isn’t wrong, one can smell from afar that this isn’t the only reason. For the unaware, Brook was the reason behind the curfew that Stokes and Gus Atkinson broke in the first place. He was punched by a bouncer in New Zealand last year while on a night out.
It’ll be rather ironic for Brook to replace Stokes as England’s Test captain, considering he did the same thing less than a year ago. Key acknowledges that the incident was one of the reasons but not the main one.
“I think that would be one of them (reasons). Not the main reason, that’s for sure. The enormity of that job, what’s best for Harry, and what’s best for this team going forward,” he said.
No desire for captaincy
Key’s adamant that Brook isn’t fussed about not taking over from Stokes and has no issues being the number two to Root, his fellow Yorkshire teammate and a big brother figure. Amid all of this, ESPNcricinfo also believes that Sunrisers Leeds, who signed Brook for £470,000, won’t name him as The Hundred captain, with Zak Crawley leading the team instead.
“We’ve spoken to Brook. He was absolutely fine. All he wants to do is play cricket for England. He doesn’t really care about much else. He’ll do whatever is best for the team and has no issue whatsoever with not being captain. He’ll still be Joe’s vice-captain. That partnership as batters, on and off the field, has been brilliant, and Joe has been a massive help to Harry in moving his game forward. I’d imagine he’ll help him in this role as well,” he added.
Why Joe Root & not Harry Brook as England’s Test captain? ECB’s Ben Stokes’ replacement explained Inside Sport India.
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