England appoint new vice-captain ahead of Champions Trophy 2025

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Monday that star middle-order batter Harry Brook has been appointed as the new vice-captain of England's ODI and T20I teams.

He will serve as Jos Buttler's deputy in the upcoming series against India, set to begin on January 22 in Kolkata.

The right-handed batter, who made his debut against the West Indies in a T20I match on January 26, 2022, has played 20 ODIs and 39 T20Is for England.

Brook has previously stepped in as England's ODI captain in the absence of Buttler, notably during the five-match series at home against Australia in September 2024.

The 25-year-old was chosen for the vice-captaincy role over contenders like all-rounder Liam Livingstone and wicket-keeper Phil Salt.

Both Livingstone and Salt have captained England in the past, with Livingstone leading the ODI team and Salt captaining the T20I team in two matches last year.

Brook is expected to play a crucial role for England in the India series and the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to take place in Pakistan and the UAE next month.

England's three group-stage matches of the Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan, with the venue for the semifinal depending on India's qualification.

During the T20I and ODI series against India, Buttler will play as a specialist batter.

The announcement was made by England's new white-ball head coach, Brendon McCullum, during the team's pre-match press conference in Kolkata on Monday.

“I think he (Buttler) won’t be keeping wickets in this series. He’s going to catch them from the field, and I think that’s a really positive thing for us because it gives Jos the opportunity to have the last say with the bowler and to have that relationship build at the last second rather than being, you know, 22 yards away," McCullum said.

In Buttler’s absence, the wicket-keeping duties for England in the series will likely be shared between Salt and Jamie Smith, providing both teams with a chance to prepare for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

England squad for T20 series in India:

Jos Buttler (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood

England squad for ODI series in India and Champions Trophy:

Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.