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Harry Brook's suspension demanded from England Cricket Board after Ashes conclusion

Soumyajit Dutta

Harry Brook Ben Stokes. Image Credits: XHarry Brook Ben Stokes. Image Credits: X

Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan delivered a scathing verdict on Harry Brook following the latter’s recent revelation about his involvement in a late-night altercation with a nightclub bouncer. Although Harry Brook apologised for the incident, he was punished by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The incident, which was first reported by The Telegraph, occurred on October 31, a day before the third ODI in Wellington during England’s tour of New Zealand. Though Brook was penalised financially with £30,000, Vaughan has now strongly criticised the ECB’s handling of the situation.

Michael Vaughan wanted stricter punishment for Harry Brook

Speaking to Fox Cricket, Vaughan accused the ECB of being overly lenient towards Harry Brook and raised concerns over what he described as the board’s increasingly relaxed approach to discipline, which he feels has also contributed to England’s struggles on overseas tours.

“The ECB pushed it under the carpet. They said they threw the kitchen sink in with a fine, but for it to have come out just a couple of days ago on the back of a poor Ashes series where performance levels have been indifferent, the loose nature of the preparation has been a big question mark about the team,” Vaughan told Fox Cricket

Vaughan questioned why such incidents do not attract stricter punishment and argued that stronger action is needed to set a clear example. He said a suspension would have been a more appropriate response to Brook’s October altercation.

“My experience from these kinds (of incidents) is you’ve got to hit the nail on the head at the time it happens, because once it comes out afterwards, ‘why did they brush it under the carpet’?" 

"So the England captain was able to go out the night before have a fracas with a bouncer then still play – probably on the same day. That can’t be right … He should’ve been suspended for that game. Then you deal with it there and then,” Vaughan said.

Vaughan’s take on Noosa drinking incident

However, Vaughan struck a slightly softer tone when referring to the Noosa episode during the Ashes Tour 2025–26, where England players were reported to have been drinking and socialising, suggesting that situation was different in nature.

“I had no problems with Noosa, but I do have a problem with Noosa on the back of them hiding something in New Zealand that they didn’t tell us about."

"So clearly there’s a lot of conversations to be had and understanding of what is right and what is wrong. When I see things like that and hear things like that, I always go: ‘What don’t we know?,’ Vaughan concluded.

Why Harry Brook was punished by the ECB?

For context, Harry Brook was reportedly denied entry into a nightclub in Wellington after a bouncer suspected he was heavily intoxicated. Brook then became involved in a heated argument and allegedly struck the bouncer.

It is worth noting that Brook, who is England’s Test vice-captain, self-reported the incident to the team’s security staff and did not sustain any injuries during the altercation. Brook didn’t get any hits on the professional front as he was retained by England’s white-ball captain without any suspension.