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England batter Harry Brook released the statement confirming his decision to withdraw from England's tour to India and then the Indian Premier League, where he was picked up by the Delhi Capitals for a price of INR 4 crore at the auction in December. Brook revealed that he lost his grandmother in February and wanted to be around his family while they are grieving.
The Englishman further delved deep into the role of his grandmother in his cricketing journey. Brook shared that she shaped his attitude towards life and helped cultivate his love for cricket, alongside his late grandfather. The 25-year-old shared his statement on his social media accounts and received a lot of support from the cricketing fraternity.
I lost my grandmother last month - she was a rock to me: Harry Brook
The statement said, "I can confirm that I have made the very difficult decision not to play in the upcoming IPL," Brook said in a statement. "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.
"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."
I know it's the right decision for me: Harry Brook
Speaking about the tour to India, Brook revealed, "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," he added. "Now that she has passed my family and I are grieving and I need to be around them. Over the last few years I have learned to prioritise my mental well-being 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."