'The Day Brook Showed He Is an England Leader'

Leaders in English cricket have come in many varieties.

There was Michael Vaughan the man-manager and Sir Andrew Strauss the strategist, who carefully planned England's route to the top.

Sir Alastair Cook and Heather Knight led through pure determination. Ben Stokes is as inspiring as they come.

It is unlikely Harry Brook will ever have the poise of Strauss or the aura of Stokes.

That does not matter.

Brook's penance in Pallekele - a T20 international century as good as any by an England batter, which secured victory over Pakistan and a place in the World Cup semi-finals - was the moment he truly became a leader for England.

You know the story of Brook's winter by now.

An altercation with a nightclub bouncer in Wellington, a wasteful Ashes performance and a foolish attempt to hide the truth, for which he later had to come clean.

Few England captains have toured with such oversized baggage.

Thousands of England fans travelled to Australia for the Ashes. Thousands more set alarms night after night, day after day back home.

Brook owed them a performance and boy did he repay them here. It was the most mature of knocks after the most immature of winters.

- Author: Matthew Henry, BBC

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