England head coach Brendon McCullum has backed Harry Brook‘s leadership despite the team’s failure to reach the final of the ODI tri-series in Pakistan. McCullum said the young captain had gained valuable experience from a difficult assignment.England lost their first three matches of the tournament before ending their campaign with a 55-run win over Sri Lanka in Lahore on Thursday. Brook’s team looked set for another defeat after Pavan Rathnayake scored a century for Sri Lanka, but England fought back to bowl out their opponents for 331 while defending a target of 387.“He (Brook) will have learned a lot from getting thrust into a situation like this where the game is travelling at breakneck speed, and you’re having to make decisions which can win or lose a game,” McCullum told Sky Sports, as quoted by Reuters.The 45-year-old praised Brook’s understanding of the game and his ability to lead the team, adding that the batter had earned the respect of his teammates.“He’s one of the best tactical captains I’ve ever come across,” McCullum said.“He’s got such an astute brain. He wears his intelligence lightly externally, but he’s a very switched-on man and a very switched-on cricketer. He has the respect of the entire dressing room.“He leads them. They follow him. He’s interactive with his leadership. It’s not just him out there on his own. He does call upon many other people as well.”England will continue their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup with a white-ball tour of Australia in November.Batter Jacob Bethell and fast bowler Jofra Archer are expected to return after missing the Pakistan tri-series. Former captain Jos Buttler, however, remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from hamstring surgery.
