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<\/p>\nHarry Brook has withdrawn from social media <\/p>\n
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Harry Brook has shielded himself from the recent negativity around England from outside the camp by withdrawing from social media, believing his mental health has been boosted as a result.<\/p>\n
Up until the last couple of months, Brook\u2019s international career had been an unqualified success, with starring roles in the \u2018Bazball\u2019 revolution after gatecrashing the Test middle order while he was an ever-present in England\u2019s T20 World Cup triumph last year.<\/p>\n
By his own admission, Brook has found the one-day format a tougher nut to crack and averaged 28.16 in England\u2019s grim World Cup campaign, but there are indications he is starting to find his feet after a promising innings of 71 in Antigua on Sunday.<\/p>\n
England\u2019s defeat in the first ODI against West Indies has deepened the sense of gloom but Brook has insulated himself from criticism by leaving his X and Instagram accounts to his handlers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been off social media for a while now, anything I stumble across, I delete it from the phone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t really seen any negativity, I think that\u2019s helped my game, helped my mental health and everything to be off social media and seeing all the negativity that brings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Brook followed up three low scores at the Indian Premier League with a century and took aim at his detractors, saying with an impish grin in an interview: \u201cI\u2019m glad I could shut them up.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was relentlessly targeted for abuse after struggling for the rest of the event and the Yorkshireman admitted he chose his words poorly.<\/p>\n
\nI probably felt like I needed a little bit of a break after the World Cup, to be honest<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u201cI was an idiot and I said that stupid thing in an interview which I regret a little bit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn India, you end up sitting in your hotel room, not much to do so I find myself just scrolling Instagram or Twitter or whatever and come across stuff you just don\u2019t want to see.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought it was the right idea to get off it. I\u2019ve obviously still got Instagram and Twitter but thankfully I\u2019ve got someone running it for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having been discarded by Sunrisers Hyderabad, Brook has entered into next year\u2019s IPL auction, extending a hectic winter programme with England.<\/p>\n
The 24-year-old revealed he was tired following the World Cup but had no inclination to skip the white-ball tour of the Caribbean, after which England play a five-Test series in India, starting next month.<\/p>\n
\u201cI probably felt like I needed a little bit of a break after the World Cup, to be honest,\u201d Brook said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wears you out. Obviously we didn\u2019t have a great competition as well, which didn\u2019t help.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo have a little two-week break at home was refreshing. But I\u2019m happy to be out here, to be honest. I feel like I\u2019ve got some things I need to work on especially in one-day cricket.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brook, who had no hesitation in \u201cstraight away\u201d signing a three-year England central contract in October, is one of the country\u2019s few three-format players and has no plans for slowing down.<\/p>\n
For now, though, he is keen to finesse his batting in ODIs. While he has now played 13 times for England in the format \u2013 all in 2023 \u2013 his 50-over opportunities for Yorkshire in recent years have been limited as the domestic competition clashes, controversially, with The Hundred.<\/p>\n
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Harry Brook top-scored for England in their first ODI against the West Indies<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to play as much as I can for England,\u201d Brook added.<\/p>\n
\u201cUntil the summer I hadn\u2019t played anything (in ODIs). I was just trying to figure out, find my feet in the format really and try to find a tempo with the way I wanted to bat.<\/p>\n
\u201cEngland have been renowned for being an aggressive side but there\u2019s always so much time. The other day was a perfect example of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was about nine overs from the end that I got out and I felt like I was sat up on the balcony watching for about three hours. There\u2019s so much more time than you actually think.\u201d<\/p>\n
England are unlikely to ring the changes on Wednesday despite a four-wicket defeat at the weekend for a match, on a fresh pitch, they must win to send the series to a decider in Barbados on Saturday.<\/p>\n