Brendon McCullum on Harry Brook, the Ashes and the Noosa tour

The Daily Telegraph has reported that Brook,

Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue could be subject to investigation by the cricket regulator in relation to the Wellington incident, which occurred the night before a one-day international which England lost.

The incident, which occurred in November, did not come to light in the media until January and was criticised for excessive drinking by the players after the Ashes break in Noosa.

McCullum said of the Noosa trip, “Cricket is 12 months a year; you have to be able to enjoy it.” I don’t think the boys went overboard at all.”

“A lot of the pile for this was completely out of line. Noosa is where people go and retire, which is why we chose Noosa.

“It is being built [out]. As big as this deer is, it couldn’t be further than that. If we wanted buck action and we wanted to tear, we would have gone to the Gold Coast.”

McCullum’s leadership style has been criticised by outsiders, with some believing that players are given too much freedom on and off the field.

However, McCullum is angry at such sentiments and believes that people outside the dressing room have misinterpreted his message.

“I think you guys [journalists] “Honestly, I have to do a little better job,” he said.

“If you remember the day I went on the job, the first thing I told these boys was, ‘Don’t do anything that will get you on the front page of the newspaper, and nothing good will happen after midnight,’ but we will have a good time.”

“[I said]We are going to grow; we are going to enjoy it. Cricket is a tough game; it has its challenges mentally, which we have seen with many people who have played cricket in the past, but we are going to try to play a style of cricket that allows us to be successful.”

“I’m not against making sure that these boys are controlled in a way. It’s [about] taking care of them to make sure they don’t make mistakes. “The curfew is a different interpretation of the words I mentioned three and a half years ago.”

McCullum said he felt it was a “misconception” that he ran a “loose ship” and wanted everyone to drink and did not care about cricket.

“This couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said.

“I’m absolutely determined, I’m extremely competitive, and I want the best for these guys, and I want the best for English cricket.”

England begin their World Cup campaign against Nepal on Sunday, February 8 (09:30 GMT).

Brook will lead the team in India and Sri Lanka, and McCullum says he has been impressed with Yorkshire’s captaincy so far.

“I think Harry Brook is an excellent leader on the field,” he said. “His tactical skills are as good as I have seen from a young man in a very short time.

“He has to work off the pitch without a doubt, as do some of the other young players we have in our squad – and that’s what happens when you turn 20 and you’re moving onto the world stage with the limelight, fame, fortune and the pressure that comes with it.

“He’s a strong leader; he’s a young guy, but he’s got a great head on his shoulders. People will say he’s not that smart; I couldn’t disagree more. He takes his intelligence for granted, and he’s a very strong leader.

“He is a player they play for in the dressing room, and our job is to look after him because he is young and his best days are ahead of him.”