England head coach Brendon McCullum hails captain Harry Brook after tourists end ODI tri-series with consolation win

England lost their first three matches after a botched run chase against Pakistan was followed by failing to defend a total of 429 against Sri Lanka and then suffering another defeat to Pakistan as the hosts reached a target of 242 despite having been 154-9.

Brook's side looked in danger of a fourth loss from four when Pavan Rathnayake scored his second hundred against England in as many matches on Thursday but they eventually bowled Sri Lanka out for 331 as their opponents pursued a target of 387.

Speaking to Sky Sports Cricket , head coach McCullum said of Brook: "He's one of the best tactical captains I've ever come across.

"He's got such an astute brain. He wears his intelligence lightly externally but he's a very switched on man and cricketer.

"He has the respect of the entire dressing room. He leads and they follow him. He is interactive with his leadership. It's not just him on his own, he calls on other people.

"He will have learned a lot from getting thrust into a situation like this where the game is travelling at breakneck speed, and you're having to make decisions which can win or lose a game.

"Providing you have the ability to take stock post-game, assess the situation and come up with new ideas [you can improve].

"We saw that [against Sri Lanka]. We were probably behind the game when they were five down but Brooky was able to slow it down, make some plays and we were able to get the wickets we needed.

"He would have grown enormously. I can't talk highly enough of his captaincy, not just his tactics but also his leadership."

Left-arm spinner Liam Dawson picked up the key wicket of Rathnayake, caught sweeping to short fine leg, in the 45th over with Sri Lanka needing 58 runs from 35 balls.

The 36-year-old bagged figures of 4-49 on the day and claimed seven wickets in three games at an average of 21.42 in the competition after replacing leg-spinner Adil Rashid following England's opening defeat to Pakistan in Rawalpindi.

Rashid, 38, is England's second-highest ODI wicket-taker of all time, behind only James Anderson, and McCullum suggested the Yorkshireman dropping out of the side in the tri-series was solely down to conditions.

The New Zealander added: "We will always do what we think is right for the conditions and the opposition we are playing against

"Dawson has done well out here with left-am spin having a significant impact on this tournament whereas leg-spin hasn't had much of a role.

"We want to be a team that can adapt to different conditions, be malleable and have that flexibility.

"Dawson is a highly-competitive player who has put his hand up and on this occasion, the conditions probably went against Rash."

'We know we need to get better - but we will'

England's preparations for the 2027 50-over World Cup in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe next take them to Australia in November with three ODIs followed by five T20 internationals.

Batter Jacob Bethell and fast bowler Jofra Archer will return after missing the tri-series in Pakistan due to a knee injury and rest respectively, but wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler remains sidelined while he recovers from hamstring surgery.

Bethell had been opening the batting with Ben Duckett in ODIs prior to his knee issue in the home summer, although may now face a battle to regain his spot immediately.

Tom Banton has struck one hundred, and four fifties, in seven innings since taking Bethell's place, while Duckett closed out the tri-series with successive centuries, including a career-best 167 from 132 balls.

McCullum says selection dilemmas are "good problems" to have as he reflected on what England have gleaned from their trip to the subcontinent.

"For us to be exposed at times but succeed at others - we have seen lot of guys step up and perform and others have great lessons learned from this trip," the head coach added.

"It is going to hold us in good stead moving forward. We know we had some missed opportunities in this series but we did some really good stuff.

"We bounced back in our final game, holding our nerve [with the ball] when the dewy conditions were against us. That was satisfying but we know we have a lot to learn.

"We want to be a team that challenges seriously for that World Cup and we know we need to get better - but we will. This experience has been very good for us, albeit it has been disappointing in terms of not making the final."

Schedule for England's tour of Australia

ODIs 3.30am UK time, with T20s 8.15am UK time

Second ODI: Sunday November 15 (Adelaide)

Third ODI: Wednesday November 18 (Hobart)

First T20I: Saturday November 21 (Melbourne)

Second T20I: Tuesday November 24 (Carrara)

Third T20I: Friday November 27 (Brisbane)

Fourth T20I: Sunday November 29 (Sydney)

Fifth T20I: Wednesday December 2 (Canberra)

Watch Pakistan face Sri Lanka in the ODI tri-series final, in Lahore, live from 7.30am on Saturday on Sky Sports Cricket (8am first ball). Get the latest Sky Sports deals or stream no contract on NOW.