The 25-year-old England National Cricket Team star batsman Harry Brook has opened up on his decision to pull out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The English batsman shared an emotional post on his official X handle to reveal the reason behind his move.
Harry Brook made his debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 2023 season. He was acquired by the franchise for a whopping INR 13.25 crore. However, he failed to perform well for the side and was released ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
He scored just 190, including a century, in 11 matches for the Hyderabad-based franchise. Despite his underwhelming show with the bat in his maiden season, the Delhi Capitals (DC) showed trust in him and spent INR 4 crore to rope him in at the IPL 2024 auction.
Harry Brook was set to feature in the five-match Test series against India National Cricket Team before he participated in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He travelled with England for the series but at the last moment, he pulled out citing personal reasons. The batter hasn’t made him available for selection since then and now he has revealed the reason behind his withdrawal from India Tests and the IPL 2024.
“I lost my Grandmother last month” – Harry Brook breaks silence on IPL 2024 withdrawal
On Wednesday, March 13, Harry Brook released a long statement on his official X handle to speak about his break from cricket. The English batter revealed that his grandmother died in February 2024 and he wants to spend time with his his family while they are grieving.
“I can confirm that I have made the very difficult decision not to play in the upcoming IPL. I was so excited to be picked by Delhi Capitals and was so looking forward to joining up with everyone. Whilst I don’t think I should need to share my personal reasons behind this decision, I know there will be many asking why. So I do want to share this,” the England National Cricket Team batsman said.
“I lost my Grandmother last month – she was a rock to me and I spent a huge amount of my childhood in her home; my attitude to life and love for cricket was shaped by her and my late grandfather. When at home, there would hardly be a day go by that didn’t include seeing her. It makes me so happy that she was able to see me play cricket for England. I’m proud that she could collect some of the awards I have won over the last couple of years when I couldn’t be there and I know she enjoyed doing that,” Harry Brook added.
Harry Brook further provided more details on his decision to stay away from cricket and thanked the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Delhi Capitals (DC) for supporting him in these challenging times.
“I made the decision to leave the India test tour the night before we flew from Abu Dhabi to India because I was told for the first time that my Grandmother was ill and didn’t have long left. Now that she has passed my family & I are grieving and I need to be around them.
“Over the last few years I have learned to prioritise my mental wellbeing and that of my family’s, honestly nothing is more important to me than family. So whilst this may come as surprising to some, I know it’s the right decision for me. I’m young and hope to have many, many more years of cricket to come which I intend to make the absolute most of.”
“I couldn’t be more grateful for the support I have received, especially from the ECB and Delhi Capitals, thank you,” the England batter concluded.
— Harry Brook (@Harry_Brook_88) March 13, 2024
Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals (DC) would be looking forward to bouncing back strong after a horrible IPL 2023 season under the leadership of David Warner where they finished at the ninth spot with only 5 wins. Delhi Capitals (DC) will be led by returning Rishabh Pant in IPL 2024.
