Brook concedes error, reflects on leadership responsibilities

England white-ball captain Harry Brook has acknowledged that other England players were present when he was struck by a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand, contradicting his earlier account of the incident.

Brook had told the media last week that he was alone on a night out in Wellington on October 30, the eve of a one-day international. However, in a statement released on Friday (January 30), he admitted that others were with him and said he had misled reporters to protect the players "from being drawn into a situation".

The clarification followed a report which said that Brook, along with Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue, was under investigation by the Cricket Regulator over the incident that occurred on the eve of England's third ODI against New Zealand.

"I accept responsibility for my actions in Wellington and acknowledge others were present that evening," Brook said. "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.

"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."

Brook is currently in Sri Lanka leading England in a white-ball series as part of their build-up to the T20 World Cup, which begins on February 7. Appointed white-ball captain last summer, the tour of New Zealand marked his first overseas assignment in the role.

The 26-year-old was involved in the altercation on the night before the third ODI in Wellington on November 1, a match England went on to lose. He was fined and issued a final warning over his conduct, although the incident and the sanction only became public more than two months later, in Sydney, following England's 4-1 Test series defeat to Australia.