England white-ball captain Harry Brook has been fined by the England and Wales Cricket Board following an altercation with a bouncer in New Zealand in October.
The day before the third and final ODI against the Black Caps in Wellington on 31 October, Brook was in strife. The 26-year-old was denied entry to a nightclub by a bouncer who deemed him too drunk. After a heated exchange, the bouncer took action and struck Brook.
The investigation resulted in a hefty fine of around 30,000 pounds, though the young talent holds on to his captaincy.
This comes off the back of the team facing accusations of an uncouth team culture. Several players were caught drinking on social media while holidaying in Noosa during the Ashes, with one video showing Ben Duckett looking lost and dishevelled.
With their disastrous Ashes tour coming to an end via a 4-1 scoreline in Sydney on Thursday, Brook released a statement apologising for the incident.
“I want to apologise for my actions,” it read.
“I fully accept that my behaviour was wrong and brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team.
“Representing England is the greatest honour of all, which I take seriously and I am deeply sorry for letting down my team-mates, coaches and supporters. I have reflected on the lessons it has taught me about responsibility, professionalism and the standards expected of those representing your country.
“I am determined to learn from this mistake and to rebuild trust through my future actions, both on and off the field. I apologise unreservedly and will work hard to ensure this does not happen again.”
A statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board said: “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.”
Brook and his England T20 team head to Sri Lanka on 19 January to begin their preparations for the T20 World Cup, which starts on 7 February.
