Batter Harry Brook is heading home from England’s Test tour of India for personal reasons and will not returning.
The 24-year-old will leave the squad, currently in Dubai preparing for the start of the first Test on Thursday, with immediate effect, the England and Wales Cricket Board have confirmed.
“The Brook family respectfully requests privacy during this time. In light of this, the ECB and the family kindly request the media and the public to respect their wish for privacy and refrain from intruding on their private space,” said an ECB statement.
Harry Brook will return to the UK and miss the India Test tour due to personal reasons.
Our thoughts are with you at this time, Brooky ❤️
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— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 21, 2024
England’s selectors later confirmed Surrey’s Dan Lawrence as Brook’s replacement for the tour. The 26-year-old has previously featured in Test squads under head coach Brendon McCullum but has not played since the West Indies tour of 2022.
Potential options from the England Lions squad had been captain Josh Bohannon, who scored a century against India A last week, while other middle-order players including James Rew and Dan Mousley have been overlooked.
In the short term for the first Test they may now play wicketkeepers Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes rather than having to choose between the two.
