Harry Brook: Yorkshire batter available for start of County Championship season

Harry Brook was named England's best overall cricketer of 2023 by the Cricket Writers' Club

England batter Harry Brook has made himself available to Yorkshire for the start of the County Championship.

The 25-year-old pulled out of the Test series in India after his grandmother Pauline became ill and then decided to withdraw from the Indian Premier League after she died.

Brook is set to play in the first five matches of the season, which they start at home to Leicestershire on 5 April.

Meanwhile, fellow batter Joe Root is available for games two-five and seven.

"Now that Brooky isn't going to the IPL, I suspect he's going to be available to us for the first few games, including Leicestershire," head coach Ottis Gibson told the club website on Monday.

"He loves playing for us, and Rooty is also going to be available for some games in that early period. Having those two playing for us would be special."

Brook has not played competitive cricket since the fifth T20 in the West Indies in December.

England are next in action with a four-match T20 series against Pakistan at home, starting on 22 May, before Jos Buttler's side begin their T20 World Cup defence in the Caribbean on 4 June.

Yorkshire are looking to win promotion back to Division One of the County Championship, having finished seventh of eight teams last year.