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England cricket team have suffered a body blow ahead of their five-Test series against India. Middle-order batter Harry Brook will fly home for personal reasons, which will see him miss all five matches.
The England Cricket Board (ECB) released a statement announcing Brook's unavailability, adding that the cricketer's family has requested privacy at this point.
With the Yorkshire batter now ruled out, the visiting side could replace him with Josh Bohannon, who is currently captaining the England Lions in the unofficial Test series against India A. Bohannon struck a hundred in the first unofficial Test in Ahmedabad. He also averages 47.87 in 67 first-class matches.
The ECB's statement read:
"Harry Brook is set to return home with immediate effect for personal reasons from the England Men’s Test tour of India. He will not be returning to India. The Brook family respectfully requests privacy during this time. In light of this, the ECB and the family kindly request the media and the public to respect their wish for privacy and refrain from intruding on their private space. The England selectors will confirm a replacement player for the tour in due course."
Ben Stokes' side are currently training in Abu Dhabi, preparing for the much-anticipated trial by spin against the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel.
Harry Brook had a productive tour of Pakistan in 2022
The Englishmen will dearly miss Brook's presence in the middle-order, especially given his stellar performance in Pakistan in late 2022. The 24-year-old scored a hundred each in all three Tests, aggregating 468 runs at an average of 93.60.
In February 2023, he hit 186 off only 176 deliveries in a Test against New Zealand in Wellington. The youngster also had a decent Ashes series at home, managing 363 runs in five Tests at 40.33 with a best score of 85.
The first Test of the India-England series begins on January 25 in Hyderabad.
