Joe Root hopes Harry Brook’s WWE-style beer celebration is “received the right way.” The England captain performed the gesture after his match-winning century against Sri Lanka, imitating WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin by striking his batting gloves together and tipping them towards his mouth. Brook said it was both a tribute to Austin and a way to show his teammates he is trying to regain their trust after past off-field incidents.
Root, who was batting alongside Brook at the time, praised the young captain’s humour, calmness, and leadership under pressure. He said the celebration had no malice and was simply meant as a light-hearted moment with the team. Brook’s actions, Root added, show why he could become a strong leader in white-ball cricket.
The incident comes after Brook’s recent off-field controversy, where he was involved in a late-night drinking incident and was nearly stripped of the captaincy. Root noted that, like past England players referencing alcohol in celebrations—such as Paul Gascoigne’s ‘dentist’s chair’ in Euro 1996—Brook’s gesture was more about humour and team spirit than anything else.
