IND vs ENG: England's star batter pulls out of Test series vs India due to personal reasons

England's Harry Brook has withdrawn from the upcoming five-match Test series against India due to personal reasons, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Sunday. The middle-order batsman, who had been part of the team's preparatory camp in Abu Dhabi, will be returning home with immediate effect. The first Test of the series is scheduled to begin at Hyderabad on Thursday, January 25.

The ECB released a statement confirming Brook's departure and assured that a replacement for him will be announced soon. The statement read, '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.'

During this challenging time for the Brook family, they have requested privacy, and the ECB emphasized the importance of respecting their wishes. The statement continued, 'The Brook family respectfully requests privacy during this time. In light of this, the ECB and the family kindly request the media and the public to respect their wish for privacy and refrain from intruding on their private space.'

The England selectors will announce a replacement player for the tour in due course. Brook, who made his Test debut in 2022 against South Africa, had his last appearance in England whites against Australia at the Oval in July 2023. The 24-year-old Yorkshire batsman has played 12 Tests, accumulating 1181 runs at an impressive average of 61, featuring four hundreds and seven fifties.