Harry Brook has said he would be delighted to captain England in Test cricket if the opportunity arose, calling the prospect a dream he has held since childhood.
The 26-year-old became England’s white-ball captain after Jos Buttler stepped down following the team’s disappointing 2025 Champions Trophy, and he was also Test vice-captain for the Ashes tour of Australia. Speaking before England’s T20I series against India, he said the decision was not his to make, but that he would accept without hesitation.
Support for Root’s stand-in captaincy
Ben Stokes missed the second Test against New Zealand after breaking team curfew and being involved in an off-field altercation. Joe Root led the side in his absence, and England lost by 253 runs.
Although Brook was the designated vice-captain, he was passed over for that match. He said he fully backed the ECB’s call, praised Root as one of the finest Test batters the game has seen, and said his own job was to help Root in any way he could.
Priority is England
Brook also addressed his franchise plans. He pulled out of his 2025 IPL deal with Delhi Capitals, which led to a two-year ban from the tournament. He said he has committed fully to England and, The Hundred aside, has no wish to play franchise cricket. His aim, he explained, is to play as many matches as possible for England at the highest level, and to stay fit and available whether or not he holds the captaincy.
England open their five-match T20I series against India on July 1 at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street. It is their first T20 fixture since losing the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final to India.
