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After pulling out of
the IPL to be near his bereaved family, Harry Brook will play for Yorkshire in
the opening games of the County Championship season.
Brook, 25, was acquired for INR 4 crore (£380,000) at the Dubai auction in
December and was scheduled to play for the Delhi Capitals in the 2024 Indian
Premier League. Nevertheless, he withdrew from the competition earlier this
month due to the passing of his grandma Pauline.
He withdrew from
England’s most recent Test tour to India, therefore he hasn’t played any
competitive cricket in 2024. He will, however, now prepare for the Twenty20
World Cup in June by representing Yorkshire in the County Championship; their
head coach, Ottis Gibson, has indicated that he will be ready right away.
Yorkshire’s opening match of the season starts on April 5 at Headingley against
Leicestershire. “Now that Brooky isn’t going to the IPL, I suspect he’s
going to be available for us for the first few games, including [against]
Leicestershire,” Gibson told the Yorkshire website.
After withdrawing
from the IPL, Brook stated in a statement that “nothing is more important
to me than family”. By pulling out, he will still be able to play
competitively and be with them in Yorkshire.
Gibson also hinted that Joe Root will be made available for some early-season
fixtures by the ECB, having opted out of IPL 2024 himself. “He [Brook]
loves playing for us, and Rooty is also going to be available for some games in
that early period,” Gibson said. “Having those two playing for us
would be special.”