Swapneel Deshpande 
In a setback for the Big Bash League (BBL), England’s Harry Brook has withdrawn from the tournament. Brook, the second pick for Melbourne Stars in the overseas draft, cited increased workload as the reason for his withdrawal. The batter was expected to be unavailable for the latter part of the BBL due to England‘s Test tour of India. However, his inclusion in England’s T20I and ODI squads for the white-ball tour of the Caribbean in December added to his commitments.
Melbourne Stars had hoped Brook would be available for seven games between the two international commitments, but he decided to withdraw due to the workload. This news comes as a disappointment for the Stars, who had already signed a replacement player for the matches Brook was set to miss at the beginning of the tournament.
Melbourne Stars General Manager Blair Crouch expressed understanding of Brook’s decision, given the increased workload. The team is now in discussions with the coaching staff and list management team to explore options for the remainder of the tournament.
This marks the second consecutive year where one of the top two picks in the overseas draft has withdrawn from the BBL. Last year, Liam Livingstone withdrew after being Melbourne Renegades’ No.1 pick. The BBL is set to commence on December 7 and conclude on January 24. Other teams, including Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers, are also expected to be impacted by international commitments affecting their overseas picks, such as Zak Crawley and Rehan Ahmed.
The Melbourne Stars will now work on finalizing replacements for Harry Brook and are optimistic about announcing the signings soon.
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