England Announces New White-Ball Captain

England batter Harry Brook has officially been appointed as England’s new white-ball captain following Jos Buttler’s decision to step down after the team’s early exit from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The announcement was made by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday.

Brook, 26, expressed his excitement over the new role, calling it a great honour. “It’s a real honour to be named England’s white-ball captain. I’m excited to get going and give it everything I’ve got,” he said in a statement.

Brook, who had already led England during their ODI series against Australia in September and served as vice-captain during the Champions Trophy 2025, now takes charge of both the T20 and ODI teams permanently.

His first assignment as captain will be the upcoming home series against West Indies, which includes three T20Is and three ODIs scheduled for the end of May.

Brook has already made a mark in international cricket, having played 26 ODIs and scored 816 runs for England. In the T20 format, he has appeared in 44 matches and was a key member of England’s squad that lifted the T20 World Cup trophy in Australia in 2022.

Although there was speculation about Test captain Ben Stokes potentially taking over the white-ball leadership, the ECB opted for Brook to allow Stokes to focus on his fitness and prepare for the upcoming Ashes series later this year.

Rob Key, England Men’s Managing Director, praised Brook’s appointment, saying, “I’m delighted that Harry Brook has accepted the role as England’s white-ball captain across both formats. He’s been part of our succession planning for some time, albeit this opportunity has come slightly earlier than expected.”