Brook on Test captaincy, batting and Wellington

In a parallel universe, this week is Harry Brook's first as England's new Test captain.

There are numerous reasons why it will be Joe Root, rather than Brook, leading England into a new era against Pakistan at Headingley: the timing of Ben Stokes' retirement, Brook's workload as white-ball captain and Root's surprise willingness to resume the job among them.

Inescapably, there is also what happened during the winter, when Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington on the eve of a one-day international against New Zealand.

In June, Brook said it would be an "honour" to be asked to succeed Stokes. Almost two months later, he does not know if the Wellington incident has cost him the top job, at least for now.

"I dunno," he tells BBC Sport. "I honestly don't know. I don't really look at it like that.

"The decision to make Rooty captain is the right one. I'm actually really excited to see what he can do. He's definitely the right man to take over that job. I'm really looking forward to working alongside him."

For some, Brook became the poster boy of everything they disliked about the Bazball era, both for what happened off the field and for the way he plays the game on it.

At this point, it's probably worth noting that no man has scored more international runs across formats since Brook made his Test debut in 2022. Of all players to have batted at least 20 times in Test cricket for England in the past 60 years, no one has a higher average than Brook's 53.04.