Harry Brook named England's white-ball captain

Harry Brook has been appointed England's new white-ball captain, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Monday (April 7). The 26-year-old succeeds Jos Buttler, who stepped down following England's campaign at the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

"It's a real honour to be named England's white-ball captain. Ever since I was a kid playing cricket at Burley in Wharfedale, I dreamed of representing Yorkshire, playing for England, and maybe one day leading the team. To now be given that chance means a great deal to me," Brook said in a statement.

"I want to thank my family and coaches who've supported me every step of the way. Their belief in me has made all the difference and I wouldn't be in this position without them. There's so much talent in this country, and I'm looking forward to getting started, moving us forward, and working towards winning series, World Cups and major events. I'm excited to get going and give it everything I've got."

Brook, an all-format regular for England, was named vice-captain of both the ODI and T20I sides last year and even captain in Buttler's absence during the home ODIs against Australia in 2024. The brains trust at ECB faced a toss-up between elevating him to the captaincy role full time or get Test skipper Ben Stokes to reprise his partnership with Brendon McCullum for the white-ball teams too. They took the former option.

"I'm delighted that Harry Brook has accepted the role as England's white-ball captain across both formats. He's been part of our succession planning for some time, albeit this opportunity has come slightly earlier than expected," said Rob Key, ECB's Director of Cricket.

"Harry is not only an outstanding cricketer, but also has an excellent cricketing brain and a clear vision for both teams that will help drive us towards winning more series, World Cups and major global tournaments."

England are in need of a reset after a string of poor performances in the white-ball formats, including at the last three ICC events. Amid the dwindling fortunes, ECB got McCullum to coach the white-ball sides starting 2025 in addition to his Test match responsibilities. But his partnership with Buttler didn't result in any quick fixes as England lost 10 of their 11 white-ball games since the turn of the year.

Brook, who made his white-ball debut in January 2022, is considered among the best young batters in the world. While his Test numbers are exemplary, he has also turned out 26 times for England in ODIs, scoring 816 runs at an average of 34.00, with a top score of 110. In T20Is, he has earned 44 caps and a highest score of 81 and was part of the team that won the T20 World Cup in 2022.

A former Young Lions captain, Brook also skippered England at the 2018 ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. His first assignment as full-time England captain will be the home series (three ODIs, three T20Is) against West Indies in late May.