England’s right-handed batter Harry Brook dedicated all the runs he has scored so far this year to his late grandmother, Pauline, who passed away earlier in February.
Brook, who is currently playing for Yorkshire in the County Cricket Championship, missed the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 after being picked by Delhi Capitals (DC) and also didn’t feature in England’s red-ball tour to India before finally returning to action this month.
The 25-year-old scored another ton in the match between Yorkshire and Derbyshire and continued his excellent form, which is great news for England as they are preparing to defend their T20 World Cup title in June.
He recalled the time he returned to England after withdrawing from the Test series against England and stated that he was “thankful” that he did return home.
"When I came home from Abu Dhabi (where England were holding a training camp), it was a very tough time, and I'm glad I did come home," he told the ECB Reporters Network.
"Obviously, it was a big decision to make. I hadn't played hundreds of games for England, so to just turn down a big Test tour like that (India) was a big decision to make.
"But she comes before all of that. She would have come out there a couple of years ago, so I had to come back and support her as much as I could. It was a very tough period, but I'm glad I came back and I was with my family and was with her."
In an earlier statement, Brook described Pauline “as a rock” to her as she often appeared to collect awards on the 25-year-old’s behalf. She became a well-known figure in the cricket fraternity.
"I just tried to support her as best as I could and everyone around us," he said. "Both of those hundreds (for Yorkshire this season) and all of the runs I've scored so far this year are all dedicated to her."
- Harry Brook