HARRY BROOK was reportedly punched by a bouncer after being refused entry into a nightclub in New Zealand before the Ashes tour.
England have attracted plenty of negative headlines during their trip to Australia after losing 4-1 to their rivals.
Players also came under fire for drinking while on a mid-tour break in Noosa, which was described as a “glorified stag-do”.
And now it has been claimed by the Telegraph that Brook was involved in an altercation with a bouncer in Wellington on October 31 ahead of an ODI – just before the Ashes tour started.
The report alleges that Brook, 26, is on a final warning after the incident, which saw security deny him access to a club because they suspected he was drunk.
Brook then had a row with a bouncer and was struck, but didn’t suffer any injuries.
He then captained England during third third ODI against New Zealand the next day, which the team lost by two wickets to confirm a 3-0 series defeat.
Brook was fined £30,000 by the ECB and came close to being sacked as white-ball captain over his actions, the report says.
He has since apologised and admitted he had “let down my team-mates coaching and supporters”.
In a statement, Brook said: “I want to apologise for my actions. I fully accept that my behaviour was wrong and brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team.
“Representing England is the greatest honour of all, which I take seriously and I am deeply sorry for letting down my team-mates, coaches and supporters.
“I have reflected on the lessons it has taught me about responsibility, professionalism and the standards expected of those representing your country.
“I am determined to learn from this mistake and to rebuild trust through my future actions, both on and off the field. I apologise unreservedly and will work hard to ensure this does not happen again.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board said: “We are aware of this incident and it has been dealt with through a formal and confidential ECB disciplinary process.
“The player involved has apologised and acknowledged their conduct fell below expectations on this occasion.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said he wasn’t surprised by the latest revelation and claimed the culture around the team needed to change.
Vaughan told the BBC: “It doesn’t surprise me. They’ve been quite loose for a while.
“You have to point the finger at the leadership group of the ECB because if they knew and then he had this incident and then he’s played the next day as England captain, you have to say that the highest level of management of the ECB need to look at themselves in the mirror.
“They were clearly trying to brush that under the carpet because the Ashes were coming up.
“If they had dealt with it there and then, it would have been a big story, but at least you push it out the way.
“For it to have broken on the back of losing 4 -1 in Australia, on the back of what happened in Noosa, on the looseness of the players on the pitch in terms of their discipline with some of their strokes, it kind of tells you that whole culture around the team, the group and the ECB needs to change.”
