Delhi: England’s star batsman Harry Brook has publicly apologized for a controversial incident that occurred during the New Zealand tour before the Ashes series 2025-26. This incident is said to have taken place just a day before an ODI match, when he had a dispute with the bouncer regarding entry into the nightclub.

Controversy arose due to the incident during New Zealand tour

According to media reports, Harry Brook had reached a nightclub the night before the ODI match played in Wellington. Allegedly, after not getting entry into the club, he had an altercation with the bouncer present there, which later escalated into a scuffle. During this time, the matter of Brook being hit by a bouncer also came to light. This incident came to light after England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia.

Questions raised on team culture

After this whole matter came to light, questions started being raised on the atmosphere and discipline of the England team. Especially during the break in Noosa, allegations of excessive drinking by players intensified the criticism. These incidents sparked debate about team culture within English cricket.

Captaincy retained, but heavy fine

However, despite this controversy, Harry Brook has not been removed from the captaincy of the white-ball team. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has fined him approximately 30,000 pounds, which is more than Rs 36 lakh in Indian currency. Besides, he has also been given a strict final warning.

Brook admitted his mistake

Harry Brook said in his statement that he takes full responsibility for his behavior. He admitted that his conduct was wrong and caused embarrassment to him personally and to the England team. Brook said that representing the country is the biggest honor for him and from this incident he has learned an important lesson to remain responsible and professional. He apologized unconditionally and assured that such an incident would not be repeated in future.

ECB’s reaction

The ECB said in its official statement that the matter has been settled under an internal and confidential process. The board clarified that the player concerned has accepted his mistake.

Ashes performance

Talking about his performance, Brook scored 358 runs in 10 innings of the five-Test Ashes series, but he could not score a single century. 26-year-old Brook will currently captain the England white-ball team, under his leadership the team will play the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 and the limited-overs series to be held in Sri Lanka, which is scheduled to begin in two weeks.