• Batter approaching unwanted Wellington anniversary

• England take on Pakistan and Sri Lanka in ODI series

Harry Brook is embracing leadership and responsibility as he nears the one-year anniversary of his Wellington altercation, insisting he wants to be “the man England fans and the team rely on”.

Brook has in the past admitted he could have been sacked as white-ball captain after being punched by a nightclub bouncer, hours before leading England in an ODI against New Zealand on Halloween last year.

Youngsters have licence to thrill in T20s, but it is time to get serious in ODIs

The kids have permission for the 20-over show. Thomas Rew, 18, could become the third-youngest man to play for England. Eddie Jack, 21, has played seven T20s, but the eighth could be for his country.

Both will tour Australia next month as part of the squad for the shortest form, but they have not made the cut for the one-day international leg of the tour, spelling out the mission statement. With the 50-over World Cup less than a year away, ODIs are where England must, as Logan Roy might say, be serious people.

In an extract from his new book, the bowler recalls one of English cricket’s greatest days and the team’s resentment when ECB killjoys shut down their celebrations

As Eoin Morgan lifted the World Cup to an explosion of fireworks and ticker tape, the sense of achievement finally hit home. Lord’s was still packed to the rafters, the party in full flow. Up on the podium, I was glowing with a mix of pride and relief – and crying with laughter, thanks to my old mate Mark Wood.

Woody was standing next to Jason Roy in the lineup – I was behind them – and for some reason grabbed a fistful of JRoy’s shirt at the big moment, pulling it up while we jumped around like lunatics. And so at the very pinnacle of his career, having helped reignite our entire campaign, JRoy was battling to stop his gut from hanging out. Poor bloke.

The Test stalwart on his surreal last stand at the Oval, his ‘shabby’ treatment by Rob Key and the vexed problem of cricket’s drinking culture

On a rainy October afternoon, after his 20th season as a professional cricketer, Chris Woakes sits down at Edgbaston’s indoor nets and thinks of the advice that helped him when he was 17 and about to start a career in this consuming sport. “The words came from my parents, particularly my dad, and it was to always be myself,” he says in his thoughtful way.

Woakes has just won his third County Championship with Warwickshire and he played 62 Tests for England, taking 192 wickets and scoring 2,034 runs. He also won two World Cups and experienced a range of England coaches, from Andy Flower to Brendon McCullum, and played for captains as different as Sir Alastair Cook, Eoin Morgan, Joe Root and Ben Stokes.

• Specialist mentor signed lucrative deal with online firm

• Board’s strict code prohibits betting across cricket

Kevin Pietersen has told the England and Wales Cricket Board he will not promote betting while on duty as England’s specialist mentor. Pietersen signed a lucrative contract as a brand ambassador for an online gambling company this week.

The former England batter is contracted to work with Brendon McCullum’s white-ball team for around 150 days over the next 13 months until the conclusion of the 50-over World Cup co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Pietersen’s betting ­interests create a potential headache for his employers.

• Prem club release statement after releasing Totoa Auvaa

• ‘His conduct falls short of the standards expected’

Saracens have sacked the rugby player who sparked English cricket’s captaincy crisis on a night out with Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson last summer following his involvement in another alcohol-related incident.

In a statement released on Monday evening, Saracens confirmed that Totoa Auvaa, a 21-year-old Samoan forward, has been dismissed following an internal investigation into an incident in St Albans last weekend.

Former Test batter and Afghanistan coach is taking the Lions abroad and is telling his players to ‘be smart’

Jonathan Trott pretty much entered Ashes folklore from the outset, scoring a series-winning century on his Test debut at the Oval back in 2009. Less spoken about, but just as relevant to the latest move in his upwardly mobile coaching career, is the first time he pulled on an England shirt two years earlier.

Drafted into the Twenty20 side for a low-key home series against West Indies, Trott knew only Ian Bell from Warwickshire and, out of his comfort zone, walked away with scores of nine and two. The difference two years on? Playing cricket in the finishing school of the Lions setup that he has recently taken charge of.