Harry Brook discusses captaincy prospects, batting form and the Wellington incident

This week at Headingley Joe Root will lead England into a new era in Test cricket against Pakistan rather than Harry Brook, a choice the England batter says stems from a number of factors including Ben Stokes' retirement timing, Brook's white-ball workload and Root's willingness to take the role. Brook acknowledged the Wellington incident as part of the backdrop, saying: "I dunno," and adding, "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."

Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington on the eve of a one-day international against New Zealand and, in June, had said it would be an "honour" to be asked to succeed Stokes; almost two months later he said he did not know if the Wellington episode had cost him the Test job. He made just six in the third ODI in Wellington the day after the incident and England lost that series 3-0. The full interview is available on the TMS podcast. Brook remains England's white-ball captain and withdrew from the IPL last year after taking that role; he still faces a ban from the competition as a result.

Statistically, Brook noted his own output: since making his Test debut in 2022 no man has scored more international runs across formats than him, and "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." For some observers, Brook has become emblematic of aspects of the Bazball era because of both his off-field issues and his approach on it.

Brook described the period after Wellington as difficult and said the scrutiny tested him, but he highlighted his response on the field. "It was a tough period, especially when I was at home, getting ready to face the media," he said, and added: "I feel like the character that I showed throughout that period to go out there and still perform and lead the white-ball side fairly well - I was proud of myself and the team." Amid that fallout he led England to ODI and T20 series wins in Sri Lanka and to the semi-finals of the World Cup, with his own form described in the article as superb.

Reflecting on earlier struggles in franchise cricket, Brook recounted his 2023 IPL season and one significant score for Sunrisers Hyderabad, an unbeaten century, then said supporters had been "slagging me off" and he was glad to have "shut up" critics. He detailed how social media affected him: "I got into a little bit of a rabbit hole with scrutiny and social media when I was at the IPL," and added, "It didn't help me as a person on the field or off the field." He also said he now views scrutiny as a sign people care: "On the other hand, I actually feel it's a little bit of a compliment if people are giving me scrutiny and have an opinion about my game."

On personality and public remarks, Brook accepted comparisons with Ben Stokes as maverick players from working-class backgrounds and pointed to past comments that caused controversy, including a "who cares" line after an ODI against Australia. "I would say that I'm an extremely honest person," he said. "A lot of people say honesty is the best policy. I probably have got into trouble a few times being too honest."

Brook's batting profile was set out in numbers and anecdotes: he has the quickest scoring rate among players with at least 3,000 Test runs, with a strike rate "almost 87 runs per 100 balls," has 10 centuries in 38 Tests and was on a run of 16 innings without a century heading into the Pakistan Tests. He acknowledged poor decisions in the Ashes, calling them "shocking shots," and described his process to improve: "I practise every single shot and have done since the age of eight. In the nets, I'd do a 360 challenge with my dad. He'd throw balls and I'd have to try to hit it to a certain place: that corner, then that corner. I have the ability to hit it everywhere, I just have to figure it out quicker in games."

Root has featured in all 38 of Brook's Tests and the pair set England's highest Test partnership, 454 against Pakistan in 2024. Brook said the past months had taught him about captaincy responsibility and reiterated his immediate priorities: "There is the potential I could be captain, but at this moment in time all I'm focusing on is trying to win a few games of cricket. I will be 1,000% behind Rooty and I'm really looking forward to what this Test side can do."