England white-ball captain Harry Brook and his team-mate Jacob Bethell have been reprimanded by the ECB for misconduct during a night out during the New Zealand tour. However, Josh Tang is spared.
England toured New Zealand for a huge white-ball series in 2025, and several players who were not part of the squad also traveled with them to acclimatise to the conditions ahead of the start of the Ashes series in Australia.
Josh Tongue was one of the players who traveled to New Zealand for the same purpose; However, he was also part of the same misconduct that involved England captains Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell.
Harry Brook and Jacob Bethel have been severely reprimanded for misbehavior on the New Zealand tour
Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue, three English cricketers, went out for a night out in New Zealand’s capital Wellington during the Three Lions tour of New Zealand in October. They went out the night before the ODI on 1 November.
During this trip, Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer. The cricket regulator, which enforces the laws of the game, has now completed its investigation into the incident and has issued caution notices to the two English cricketers.
However, no action was taken against fast bowler Josh Tongue, who was not part of the squad for the ODI against New Zealand. He has been training with the group in preparation for the Ashes series. Brooke was issued a final warning along with a fine.
Harry Brooke revealed a big lie
The English captain claimed that English fans had every right to be angry at his behaviour, and did not shy away from issuing a public apology. However, Harry Brook then claimed that he was alone when the bouncer knocked him down.
However, after investigation by cricket regulators, the captain revealed the truth. He is trying to protect his teammates from further scrutiny which could affect their morale ahead of the crucial Ashes series.
England suffered a crushing defeat in the New Zealand ODI series, the series ended with a huge 3-0 defeat for the English cricketers.
English players have been criticized for off-field misbehavior
England have failed to produce promising performances in their recent tours, especially in the white-ball series in New Zealand and the red-ball Ashes. They lost both the series and the Ashes in humiliating manner.
England players were also criticized for their off-field behavior during the Ashes. There were scenes of excessive drinking during the Ashes, and English cricketers were seen in nightclubs.
It was once again Jacob Bethell whose name surfaced in these claims, and it was the Noosa incident that followed, causing the English players to realize that they should now concentrate on cricket. ECB director Rob Key had then argued that fixing cricket’s relationship with alcohol is not easy.
Also read: Sanjiv Goenka has heated exchange with LSG coaches after the loss to DC
