England’s white-ball coach Brendon McCullum believes Harry Brook has all the qualities to lead the Test side, but says Joe Root is the right choice for now. Brendon McCullum has thrown his support behind Harry Brook, insisting that the dynamic batter’s opportunity to captain England’s Test team will come in the future.
Harry Brook, who currently leads England in the ODI and T20I formats, has long been viewed as one of the country’s leadership prospects. During England’s recent Test series against New Zealand, he served as vice-captain under Ben Stokes. However, when Stokes missed the second Test following his suspension, the captaincy was handed to Joe Root instead.
Following Stokes’ retirement from Test cricket, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) once again opted for Root to take over the red-ball side rather than promoting Harry Brook.
Harry Brook’s time will come- Brendon McCullum
Despite missing out on the Test captaincy, Brendon McCullum while having an interaction with Sky Sports believes Harry Brook remains a future leader of England’s longest format.
“Everyone knows the affection that I have for Harry. He’s a wonderful player, and he’s doing a fine job as white-ball leader. I think his time will come in the Test job,”
The former New Zealand captain added that he is excited to continue working with Brook and help him develop his leadership skills.
“I’m looking forward to working with him and hopefully growing and developing him into the leader that he can become. At some stage in the future, he will have a very important role in that capacity. But for now, Joe will do an amazing job,” McCullum said.
A leader for the future
Harry Brook has rapidly established himself as one of England’s most influential batters across formats and has already taken on significant leadership responsibilities in white-ball cricket. Under Harry Brook’s leadership, England made it to the semi-final of the ICC T20 WC 2026. Brendon McCullum’s comments further reinforce the belief within the England camp that the 27-year-old is being groomed for a bigger role in the years ahead.
For now, however, England have chosen experience, with Joe Root returning to lead the Test side as the team enters a new chapter following Stokes’ retirement. As England continue to reshape their red-ball setup, the talented batter appears well-positioned to eventually take over the captaincy when the time is right. All eyes would be on Harry Brook during the upcoming Test series against Pakistan commencing on 19th August, as he still is vice captain of side.
Also Read: ENG vs PAK: Ben Stokes Shows Concern Over Joe Root Being Captain Again