Newly-appointed white-ball captain of England, Harry Brook, has opened up on his two-year ban from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Brook was bought by Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2025 mega auction for Rs 6.2 crore, but the batter pulled out of lucrative contract days ahead of the start of the tournament in order to be free and fresh to play for England. As a result, the player has been banned from entering the auction for the next two seasons.

However, Brook has re-asserted he is ready to reduce his participation in franchise tournaments in order to focus more on his international career.

Speaking to The Mirror, Brook said: “This is my priority. England is the way forward for me and franchise cricket can almost take a step back for little while. At the end of the day I enjoy playing cricket for England more than anything else.

“So to lose a little bit of money here and there, I’d take that any day to play for England. I won’t be playing any franchise cricket in the near future and I’ll be prioritising England and whatever games we have with them.”

However, Brook has revealed the BCCI didn’t formally communicate their decision to him.

“They haven’t told me,” he shrugged. “But if I do get banned, fair play. That’s the rules they put in place, but I’m completely committed to playing cricket for England,” he added.

Brook was announced as the successor to former skipper Jos Buttler, with the 26-year-old given the task of reviving England’s fortunes in both one-day international and Twenty20 cricket following lacklustre displays at recent global events.

Brook, however, is also a mainstay of England’s batting line-up in red-ball cricket.

England have 11 Tests between now and the end of the Ashes in early January and Brook may also have to feature in 12 ODIs and 15 T20s to prepare for next year’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin in February.

(With AFP Inputs)