No Ashes Talk In England Camp, Says Harry Brook Before New Zealand Series

Harry Brook says location has been nary Ashes talk successful nan England campy arsenic nan visitors hole for “a hellhole of a agelong winter”, pinch nan white-ball captain’s determination to “stay successful nan moment” truthful beardown that he has not moreover noticed the ramping-up of pre-series trash talk by David Warner and Stuart Broad.

The England squad arrived successful Christchurch connected Wednesday aft nan three-day bonding break successful Queenstown for their six-match bid against New Zealand, which concludes successful Wellington connected 1 November.

Three members of nan Ashes squad were named successful nan lineup for Saturday’s first T20 pinch different successful Zak Crawley not selected and a fifth, Gus Atkinson, joining nan group connected Thursday arsenic a non-playing personnel while he useful connected his fittingness pinch nan first Test successful Perth a small complete a period away.

Brook insisted he was “just concentrating connected nan first crippled here”, avoiding thoughts of nan Ashes and nan T20 World Cup that follows successful February.

“We’re conscionable trying to enactment successful nan infinitesimal arsenic agelong arsenic possible,” said nan Test vice-captain. “It’s a cardinal connection we ever talk about, and concentrating connected that point astatine that time. We’ve sewage an highly beardown New Zealand broadside coming up and that’s nan main focus.”

Cranking up nan warfare of words earlier nan first Ashes Test connected 21 November, Broad has claimed England will look nan “worst” Australia squad since 2010 successful nan Ashes successful consequence to erstwhile nan Australia opener Warner predicting a 4-0 triumph for nan hosts, saying: “If nan skipper [Pat Cummins] doesn’t play, they mightiness triumph 1 game.”

Locally overmuch attraction has fallen connected Tim Southee, who sits astatine No 2 connected nan database of New Zealand’s highest T20 appearances and played his last crippled for nan Black Caps conscionable 10 months ago, but who will beryllium wearing England’s colours astatine Hagley Oval, successful his domiciled arsenic accelerated bowling consultant.

“He’s been our Test captain, I’ve played nether him and person a awesome narration pinch him, truthful it’s weird to spot him successful that kit,” said nan New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra.

“He’s a fable of a bloke, a fable of a player, truthful it’ll beryllium absorbing to spot him connected nan different broadside of nan fence.

“He knows america arsenic a playing group really good and he knows this crushed amended than anyone, he’s played truthful overmuch cricket here, truthful he’ll person nan insider’s knowledge. He’s a very valuable coaching resource, but cricket’s [about] who gets nan occupation done.”

Southee whitethorn beryllium nan 1 personnel of nan England campy who is reasoning astir nan Ashes, pinch nan the 36-year-old Kiwi discussing extending his engagement until nan extremity of nan first Test successful Perth earlier he leaves to fulfil playing commitments successful nan United Arab Emirates.

“It should beryllium an absolute cracker, that series,” he said. “I deliberation not only English and Australian group are looking guardant to it, I deliberation nan full cricket world is. As a Kiwi, to beryllium astir a group that’s heading complete to nan Ashes, it’s thing I ne'er thought I’d beryllium progressive with.”