Harry Brook will return for Yorkshire's season opener after turning down £380,000 IPL deal

Harry Brooke will return to cricket following the death of his grandmother in Yorkshire's match against Leicestershire at Headingley on Friday 5 April. Photo: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

Harry Brook will return to cricket with Yorkshire in the County Championship next week, having withdrawn from the Indian Premier League following the death of his grandmother.

Brook had a three-month break in the game after withdrawing from England's five-Test tour of India last month. He also turned down a INR 4 crore (£380,000) deal with Delhi Capitals in the IPL to spend more time with his family following the death of his grandmother Pauline, whom he called his «rock», in a statement earlier in this year. month.

Instead of playing for the Capitals, he will turn out for Yorkshire in the Championship's second tier, starting with the opening game of the season against Leicestershire next Friday, in what looks set to be a major boost to the competition.

Yorkshire's website reported that Brook had «expressed a desire to start the campaign and play a large number of County Championship matches ahead of the T20 World Cup campaign in the Caribbean and USA before June.»

England won't play Test cricket until July (against the West Indies), but Brooke will be a key member of the world title-defending T20 team.

“Now that Brookie won't be going to the IPL, I suspect that he will be available for us in the first few games, including [against] Leicestershire,” said Yorkshire coach Ottis Gibson.

Gibson also noted that Joe Root will play for Yorkshire at the start of the season. part of the season, although perhaps not immediately after the Leicestershire game as he played all five Tests in India.

“He [Brooke] loves playing for us and Ruthie will also be available for some games this early period,” Gibson said. «It would be special if those two played for us.»

Other England batsmen such as Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley are likely to start the season in their respective counties having missed just one championship match in the opening block. eight rounds in eight weeks before the Vitality Blast.

Captain Ben Stokes is likely to play one or two games for newly promoted Durham at the start of the season but will be carefully managed upon his return to the team. full all-rounder status.

Speaking at Lord's last week and giving a lecture to Cowdrey as part of his Tailenders podcast, James Anderson confirmed that he will not play for Lancashire in the first few games but will build up to the first Test summer. There will be intense competition for places among the large number of contracted bowlers, with only IPL's Chris Woakes among those vying for Test places.