Brook: Focus on New Zealand not Ashes

HARRY Brook insisted Ashes fever has not spread into his England white-ball camp as the Yorkshireman prepares to start a “hell of a long winter” this weekend.

- BY DAVID CHARLESWORTH

Excitement levels are already peaking in England and Australia despite the opening Test in Perth being more than a month away, with former rivals Stuart Broad and David Warner this week fanning the flames.

A limited-overs tour of New Zealand, beginning in Christchurch tomorrow with the first of three T20s, has flown under the radar but Brook insisted the Black Caps have his undivided attention.

When asked about the recent Ashes barbs flying around, Brook responded: “I haven't seen any of it. We've got an extremely strong New Zealand side coming up and that’s the main focus at the minute.”

Brook, as an all-format regular and white-ball captain, will likely shoulder a heavy burden in the next few months with the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka following hot on the heels of the Ashes.