England’s white-ball cricket captain Harry Brook has backtracked over his account of an incident with a nightclub bouncer.
Brook, 26, was fined and warned over the incident in Wellington, New Zealand, the night before a one-day international in November.
He previously said he had been “clocked” by the bouncer.
The cricketer, whose England side lost by two wickets the following day, had initially said he was alone.
But he has now issued a statement saying he “regrets” those comments and was protecting teammates.
It has also been reported by The Telegraph that teammates Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue were fined for their roles, and are being investigated by the Cricket Regulator.
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‘I regret my previous comments’
Brook said in the statement: “I accept responsibility for my actions in Wellington and acknowledge that others were present that evening.
“I regret my previous comments and my intention was to protect my teammates from being drawn into a situation that arose as a result of my own decisions.
“I have apologised and will continue to reflect on the matter. This has been a challenging period in my career, but one from which I am learning.
“I recognise that I have more to learn regarding the off-field responsibilities that come with leadership and captaincy. I remain committed to developing in this area and to improving both personally and professionally.”
