Harry Brook says there has been no Ashes talk in the England camp as they prepare for “a hell of a long winter”. The white-ball captain’s determination to “stay in the moment” is so strong that he has not even noticed the ramping-up of pre-series trash talk by David Warner and Stuart Broad.
England arrived here on Wednesday after a three-day bonding break in Queenstown for their six-match series against New Zealand, which concludes in Wellington on 1 November.
Three members of the Ashes squad were named in the lineup for Saturday’s first T20 with another in Zak Crawley not selected and a fifth, Gus Atkinson, joining the group on Thursday as a non-playing member while he works on his fitness with the first Test in Perth a little over a month away.
T20 international series (all 7.15am BST)
First T20: Sat 18 Oct, Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Second T20: Mon 20 Oct, Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Third T20: Thu 23 Oct, Eden Park, Auckland
One-day international series (all 1am GMT)
First ODI: Sun 26 Oct, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
Second ODI: Wed 29 Oct, Seddon Park, Hamilton
Third ODI: Sat 1 Nov, Sky Stadium, Wellington
Brook insisted he was “just concentrating on the first game here”, avoiding thoughts of the Ashes and the T20 World Cup that follows in February. “We’re just trying to stay in the moment as long as possible,” said the Test vice-captain. “It’s a key message we always talk about, and concentrating on that thing at that time. We’ve got an extremely strong New Zealand side coming up and that’s the main focus.”
Cranking up the war of words before the first Ashes Test on 21 November, Broad has claimed England will face the “worst” Australia team since 2010 in the Ashes in response to the former Australia opener Warner predicting a 4-0 victory for the hosts, saying: “If the captain [Pat Cummins] doesn’t play, they might win one game.”
Locally, much focus has fallen on Tim Southee, who sits at No 2 on the list of New Zealand’s highest T20 appearances and played his final game for the Black Caps 10 months ago, but who will be wearing England’s colours at Hagley Oval, in his role as fast bowling consultant.
“He’s been our Test captain, I’ve played under him and have a great relationship with him, so it’s weird to see him in that kit,” said the New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra. “He’s a legend of a bloke, a legend of a player, so it’ll be interesting to see him on the other side of the fence.
“He knows us as a playing group really well and he knows this ground better than anyone, he’s played so much cricket here, so he’ll have the insider’s knowledge. He’s a very valuable coaching resource, but cricket’s [about] who gets the job done.”
Southee may be the one member of the England camp who is thinking about the Ashes, with the 36-year-old Kiwi discussing extending his involvement until the end of the first Test in Perth. He will then leave to fulfil playing commitments in the United Arab Emirates.
“It should be an absolute cracker, that series,” he said. “Not only English and Australian people are looking forward to it, the whole cricket world is. As a Kiwi, to be around a group that’s heading over to the Ashes, it’s something I never thought I’d be involved with.”
