England's white-ball captain Harry Brook has issued a public apology for becoming embroiled in a late-night incident in New Zealand just before the Ashes, admitting his actions "brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team".
A matter of hours after England's 4-1 defeat to Australia was confirmed in Sydney and shortly after ECB chief executive Richard Gould launched a formal review into the series - including into the behaviour of players - the growing sense of crisis around the team deepened.
The Daily Telegraph reported Brook, the limited-overs skipper and vice-captain of the Test side in Australia, was involved in a scuffle with a nightclub bouncer on October 31. England lost an ODI to the Black Caps the next day, surrendering the series 3-0, with Brook scoring six.
It is understood that Brook was fined £30,000 after reporting the incident to team management.
"I want to apologise for my actions. I fully accept that my behaviour was wrong and brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team," he said in a personal statement.
"Representing England is the greatest honour of all, which I take seriously and I am deeply sorry for letting down my team-mates, coaches and supporters. I have reflected on the lessons it has taught me about responsibility, professionalism and the standards expected of those representing your country.
"I am determined to learn from this mistake and to rebuild trust through my future actions, both on and off the field. I apologise unreservedly and will work hard to ensure this does not happen again."
