Harry Brook withdraws from SA20 over workload concerns upon ECB's directive - Reports 

Rising England batter Harry Brook will not participate in the upcoming inaugural edition of SA20. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) raised concerns over the youngster's workload with his SA20 franchise Joburg Super Kings as well as Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Wednesday, December 28.

Brook has been with the England side since their home series against India in July 2022. He partook in the seven-match T20I series in Pakistan before heading to Australia for the T20 World Cup 2022. The right-handed batter then went on to play his maiden overseas Test series in Pakistan, where he was named the Player of the Series.

With England having a packed schedule moving into 2023 as well as the Indian Premier League (IPL) coming up in the April-June window, the ECB wanted Brook to have a breather, especially considering that he is an all-format player for the side.

Kasi Viswanathan, the CEO of Joburg Super Kings, told Cricbuzz:

"Since he plays all three formats, the ECB thinks it is too risky to permit him to play the SA20. We have received the communication from the ECB last night. We will have to look for a replacement."

The English batter has been named in the squad to face South Africa across three ODIs in January 2023. He is also set to play in England's two-match Test series against New Zealand prior to the IPL.

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Harry Brook was roped in by the Joburg Super Kings for 2.10 million rand

The former England U-19 captain was bought by the Faf du Plessis-led side for 2.10 million rand at the inaugural SA20 auction on September 19. He has garnered a reputation after his exploits for the national team in the recent past.

The Yorkshire-born player made his debut in January 2022 during the T20I series against the West Indies. It is to be noted that he is yet to make an appearance in ODIs so far.

However, Harry Brook is expected to be available for the entirety of the IPL 2023, like the rest of the English contingent. The English home season will begin on June 1 with a one-off Test against Ireland before the highly anticipated Ashes series.

The right-handed batter was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for a whopping sum of ₹13.25 crore at the recently concluded IPL 2023 mini-auction. The Orange Army had to fend off interest from the Rajasthan Royals (RR) to secure the services of the immensely talented batter.

Who will the Joburg Super Kings line up as a replacement for Harry Brook? Let us know what you think.

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