Grandmother comes before all of it: Harry Brook says ‘not going for India Test tour was a big decision’

England batter Harry Brook said pulling out of this year’s Test tour of India was a big decision to make as his grandmother Pauline, who passed away in March, came first for him before anything else, adding that all of his runs scored in this summer will be dedicated to her.

Brook, 25, opted out of England’s Test tour of India and from IPL 2024, where he was supposed to play for Delhi Capitals, due to personal reasons. Brook has returned to cricket through county championship for Yorkshire, and scored a century in the ongoing match against Derbyshire, after scoring a ton previously against Leicestershire.

“When I came home from Abu Dhabi, it was a very tough time, and I’m glad I did come home. Obviously, it was a big decision to make. I hadn’t played hundreds of games for England, so to just turn down a big Test tour like that (India) was a big decision to make.

“But she comes before all of that. She would have come out there a couple of years ago, so I had to come back and support her as much as I could. Like I say, it was a very tough period, but I’m glad I came back and I was with my family and was with her. I managed to take her out for a coffee and what not in that first week I was back.

“I was still training with a mindset of trying to get back out for the last couple of Tests, all being well. Obviously it all disintegrated fairly quickly, so that didn’t happen. I just tried to support her as best as I could and everyone around us. Both of those hundreds (for Yorkshire this season) and all of the runs I’ve scored so far this year are all dedicated to her,” said Brook to The Daily Telegraph.

Once his county commitments with Yorkshire are over, Brook will join England for their T20I series against Pakistan ahead of the Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA. He was a member of England’s 2022 T20 World Cup triumph in Australia and will play a crucial hand in their title defence in the Caribbean and America.

“I’m looking forward to it, if selected. We join up at the end of next month, so yeah, I’m looking forward to being back with the lads and hopefully producing the goods for England again,” he added.