Harry Brook will become England’s third new captain of the summer next week, taking over the ODI reins after rain ruined the T20 decider against Australia.
After squaring the series 1-1 with a vibrant chase in Cardiff, England were raring to go at Emirates Old Trafford but – in an unwanted reminder of last summer’s crucial Ashes Test – the weather was the only winner in Manchester.
Play was abandoned without a ball bowled after persistent downpours, with the silverware shared and all eyes moving on to the three-match ODI leg.
It was announced on Sunday that Brook would be in charge for that series, with Jos Buttler remaining sidelined with the calf injury that has kept him out of action since the end of June.
Brook’s promotion, after just 15 50-over appearances and less than a year on from admitting he was “still trying to figure out the format” during England’s dire World Cup defence in India, continues England’s recent policy of blooding a new generation of leaders.
Ollie Pope stepped in for Ben Stokes during the recent Test series and Phil Salt deputised for Buttler during the T20s.
Brook, a former England Under-19 captain who acted as Northern Superchargers skipper during this year’s Hundred tournament, was eager to throw himself into the role – seeking out caretaker coach Marcus Trescothick within minutes of the washout being confirmed.
“Harry texted me about 10 minutes ago and I said, ‘I’m a bit busy at the minute. I’ve still got a bit to do’,” Trescothick said.
“We’ve already discussed a few things in previous messages or in conversation. We’ve got a very good relationship already so we’ll carry that on.
“We’ve seen Brooky do a little bit in the Hundred this year with Superchargers and it’s a chance to expose him to his environment, have him leading the group. It’s a new start for the ODI side and a continuation of what we’ve done this week.
“I’m looking forward to working with him, it will be good fun to start building things with him and see how he goes about it out on the pitch.
“New captains come in with fresh ideas and approaches. They can test the water and see how it goes in terms of what lies ahead for them. It means you can plan ahead for the future a little bit easier.”
Buttler revealed in an interview with Sky Sports Cricket that he was already planning to lay down the wicketkeeping gloves in a bid to reinvigorate his own captaincy.
Either Salt or Jamie Smith – the men in possession in T20 and Test cricket as it stands – will get first claim on the role when the ODIs begin at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
“Salty has being doing it in T20s and Jamie is the Test keeper, so we’ve got really good candidates,” Buttler said.
“If I was playing, I was going to give up the gloves, go to mid-off and see how that felt. If that’s something that will help me in my captaincy, it’s something I’m open to. I just want what’s best for the team, if that means I move from behind the wickets then so be it.”
England have added their T20 player of the series, Liam Livingstone, to the ODI squad after rookie seamer Josh Hull withdrew with a quad injury. It is not yet known if the issue will affect his place on next month’s Test tour of Pakistan.
Livingstone, who was initially dropped from the one-dayers, topped the run-scoring charts against Australia and was also joint top of the wicket-taking list with five in two games.
“It’s a reward for good performances and also dealing with the disappointment of being left out in a very good fashion,” Trescothick said.
“It’s how you want players to react, to come back and go, ‘No, you’ve made a mistake’.”
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