Former England captain and renowned commentator Nasser Hussain has thrown his support behind Harry Brook to replace Jos Buttler as the country’s new white-ball captain after the disastrous ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign.
Buttler, who led England to ICC T20 World Cup glory in 2022, has now endured three disappointing major tournaments as captain.
Following England’s early exit from the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, the 34-year-old officially stepped down as captain, leaving England in search of a new leader.
Nasser Hussain, in his column for the Daily Mail, backed Brook as the best available option, citing England’s limited captaincy choices due to the lack of domestic 50-over cricket.
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“Harry Brook would be my choice as England’s next limited-overs captain now it’s clearly time to move on from Jos Buttler,” he wrote.
“If you’re having to think about being England captain, as Buttler said he would be after Champions Trophy elimination earlier this week, you probably know you’re done.”
However, while advocating for Brook, Hussain also pointed out the challenges of appointing him, especially with England’s packed Test calendar, which includes a home series against India and the Ashes.
“There would be issues with appointing Brook. In such an important year, do you really want to pass on all the burdens of leading a struggling side to a young man and make his life more difficult? England are trying to play a lot of their Test players in white-ball cricket, but do they want their captain to be part of that as well?” he questioned.
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Harry Brook has been Buttler’s deputy since January but has struggled to balance his role, managing just one half-century in his last 10 white-ball games.
Despite this, Nasser Hussain recalled Brook’s previous leadership experiences and praised his ability to handle dual responsibilities.
“I enjoyed watching him captain last year, whether it be in the Hundred or against Australia, when he scored a hundred in one of the games – which suggested he was quite happy balancing the two roles,” he added.
“But you’ve still got to be careful. You don’t want to weigh down a very talented young player with it all.”
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