Hyderabad: England's prolific batter Dan Lawrence has been named as replacement after Harry Brook's withdrawal due to personal reasons from the upcoming five-match Test series against India, starting from January 25. Lawrence will join the rest of his teammates on Monday before travelling to India.
The 26-year-old last played a Test in 2022, when he came out against the West Indies at the St George's Park. He has made 551 runs from 11 matches at 29 with four fifties.
The Yorkshire young batter will miss the series as England is planning to name a replacement. The team is set to arrive in Hyderabad on Sunday ahead of the series opener, but Brook will be no longer with the travelling party. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) stated in an official release that he will return home with immediate effect.
"Harry Brook is set to return home with immediate effect for personal reasons from the England Men's Test tour of India. He will not be returning to India. "The Brook family requests privacy during this time. In the wake of this, the ECB and the family kindly requested the media and the public to respect their privacy and refrain from intruding on their private space."
Considering Brook's impact in Test cricket, it will be a major blow for the English side. The right-handed batter has amassed 1181 runs with an average of 62.15 in the red-ball cricket so far and he will be aiming to make waves in his first series in India with stellar performances.
Brook's absence is likely to bring in Jonny Bairstow as a specialist batter. The move can allow England to hand over the wicketkeeping duties to Ben Foakes. England will train at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on January 22 and will prepare to start the series with a victory over the hosts as the Test is slated for January 25.
Read More
