Harry Brook wants to use New Zealand tour as preparation for 2026 T20 World Cup

Harry Brook knows the white-ball tour of New Zealand will be “completely different” to what awaits England for the Ashes series in Australia – but he intends to make the most of some long-overdue bonding time together with an eye on the T20 World Cup.

England will play three T20 internationals against the Black Caps, the first of which will be in Christchurch on October 18, followed by a three-match ODI series.

All-rounders Sam Curran and Liam Dawson have both been selected for the ODI squad, while Kent batter Zak Crawley gets a maiden T20 call-up.

Test vice-captain Brook will skipper both sides for the New Zealand tour, which concludes in Wellington on November 1.

The Yorkshire batter hopes it can prove a positive environment for the players to bond before attentions sharpen on the Ashes, when England will hope to reclaiming the urn for the first time since 2015.

“Personally, and it is going to be the message to the team, this is completely different. Obviously we have got the Ashes in a month’s time,” Brook told reporters after the England white-ball squad touched down in New Zealand.

“We have got a T20 World Cup in February and March, so we are building up towards that and this (tour) can be a great stepping stone for that.”

Brook added: “The Test boys have had so much time together away from cricket and this is the perfect opportunity now for us to really get together and almost treat it as team bonding for the next few days.

“With the T20 World Cup coming up in the new year, I think it really vital that we all get together and spend a lot of time together.”

Brook, though, insists England will not be about to take their foot off the gas on their New Zealand trip, which will also see the third T20 played at Eden Park and ODIs in Mount Maunganui and Hamilton.

“We are not going to take any team lightly. No matter who we are playing against, we are going to go full throttle at everyone,” he added.

“We always want to be aggressive, to always put pressure on the bowlers as a batting unit, to try to take wickets and use the dimensions as a bowling unit, then in the field chase the ball hard.”

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