White-ball captain Harry Brook admits England players 'were present' during bouncer altercation in New Zealand - 'My intention was to protect'
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Published 30/01/2026 at 20:57 GMT
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The off-pitch behaviour of England's cricketers has come under the spotlight in recent months, with white-ball captain Harry Brook involved in an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand before players were filmed drinking in Australia. Brook has now admitted to lying about being "alone" during his controversial incident, saying some team-mates "were present that evening".
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Harry Brook has admitted other England players "were present" when he was involved in an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand, saying he initially withheld the information to protect his team-mates.
The incident occurred on November 1, the night before the third one-day international in Wellington, with The Telegraph reporting that Brook was "struck" by a bouncer after being refused entry.
The white-ball captain’s behaviour raised some questions about the culture in the squad, but Brook insisted earlier this month he was "on my own" when it happened.
However, Brook said in a statement released on Friday night that England team-mates were in fact present, following a Telegraph report that said Brook, Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue faced an investigation.
"I accept responsibility for my actions in Wellington and acknowledge that others were present that evening," said Brook.
"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.
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"I have apologised and will continue to reflect on the matter. This has been a challenging period in my career, but one from which I am learning.
"I recognise I have more to learn regarding the off-field responsibilities that come with leadership and captaincy.
"I remain committed to developing in this area and to improving both personally and professionally."
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The day after the incident, an England side captained by Brook lost to New Zealand to seal a 3-0 series defeat.
He was fined £30,000 and given a final warning and said afterwards that he did not consider resigning but "it was definitely playing through my mind" that he could be sacked as captain.
Recounting the incident in an interview last week, Brook said: "I took it upon myself to go out for a few more and I was on my own there. I shouldn't have been there.
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Highlights: England clinch Sri Lanka series as Root and Brook hit tons
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"I was trying to get into a club and the bouncer just clocked me, unfortunately. I wouldn't say I was absolutely leathered. I'd had one too many drinks."
Further questions were raised about the behaviour of England’s players when some were filmed drinking in Noosa midway through a disappointing 4-1 Ashes series defeat in Australia.
In their first action since, England claimed a 2-1 one-day international series win over Sri Lanka on Tuesday, with Brook hitting a century in the decisive third match.
They followed that up with a T20 victory over Sri Lanka on Friday in the first of a three-match series as the build-up to the T20 World Cup continues.
How to watch and live stream the tour of Sri Lanka
Every ball from the 2026 tour of Sri Lanka will be available live and on-demand via TNT Sports and its streaming platform, discovery+.
Viewers watching the action on discovery+ will benefit from the timeline markers featured throughout the series – allowing them to catch up on all the highlights and pivotal moments at their own pace.
To complement the live action, TNT Sports will broadcast highlights throughout the daytime on its linear channels and discovery+.
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