If there’s one refreshing thing about Harry Brook, it’s his simple manner. That’s a compliment in a complex world. “He’s a bit dumb,” said Test captain Ben Stokes on the eve of Brook’s Test debut. The newbie took it in the spirit that it was meant. Yet he has been overlooked by the England selectors for the forthcoming World Cup in India.

The 24-year-old has had an incredible start to his international career, averaging over 60 in Tests. He plays cricket with a glorious innocence and the rewards are coming thick and fast. Cricketing intelligence is high even if he is rubbish at quizzes.

Brook is down the pecking order of more established players in the 50-over format. England have an embarrassment of riches and the right-hander is not among the 15 chosen golden nuggets for the World Cup in India. That follows simple logic, unlike some of Brook’s shots. If life is about bending the rules occasionally then exceptional talents like him should be the grateful recipient of a place.

Jason Roy’s back spasm and Jonny Bairstow’s sore shoulder turned the young Yorkshireman into an improvised opener at Cardiff on Friday. He made 25 at a strike rate of 61. As an experiment, it wasn’t that educational. Or entertaining. It was the tortoise-like Dawid Malan from the T20s who was exploding at the other end. Brook was the fall guy who neither failed nor impressed. For the first time in his international career, Brook was unsure who he was. At Southampton, he made just 2 off eleven balls.

This generational talent normally plays perfectly executed cricket shots as if he’s in the back garden. There’s nothing remotely media-trained or guarded about his manner. “So that’s The Ashes. Looking forward to the next 4 tests!,” he tweeted after playing in the heavily hyped first Test against Australia. For a sports star in a social media age of minutiae, the batsman has the most affable, accessible nature.

His statement on omission from the final cut was typically straight down the line.

“You’ve just gotta move on. I’m trying not to think about it anymore. I’ve not had much conversation with Matthew [Mott] or Jos [Buttler]. They said with Stokesy coming back, I was probably going to miss out this time. He is one of the best players to ever play cricket, so I can’t really complain, can I?” said the Keighley kid.

Brook’s experience of the ODI game has been limited to three matches in South Africa at the beginning of the year and batting out of position twice in the current series. It’s not a big sample to go on for a player who is capable of hitting 360-degree shots anytime, anywhere in any format.

Stokes’s reversal of his retirement in the 50-over game made him a shoo-in for one of the spots in the middle order. Liam Livingstone and Malan were booked in for their track record over time, although the former hasn’t been tearing it up recently and Malan has stalled the run-rate in the T20s. Malan averages almost 55 in ODis and is flexible in the batting order. He was never going anywhere.

“We all know Harry’s a fantastic player and we saw what he can do the other night,” skipper Buttler added. “It’s not like it’s a surprise: we know what a brilliant player he is, he’s just the unfortunate one at the moment to not be in that squad at the moment.” This rhetoric is a bit generic and soulless, covering loyalty to others in an overcrowded market of talent.

While there are serious empirical reasons why Brook is on the outside, the visceral feel for the here and now is emphatic. When England are up against it at some point during the tournament, they need someone with uncommon elan. At the moment, Joe Root is either boom or bust, Jason Roy may have peaked, and there’s a fair amount of uncertainty going into a huge tournament.

“He’s a gun player and I believe he is going to be one of the best players in his generation. It’s just an incredibly hard side to select and to squeeze 15 players into it,” coach Mott said. All this justification feels uncomfortable. Brook hit the fastest-ever century in the Hundred a few weeks ago and then splattered New Zealand’s bowlers for 67 off 36 balls at Old Trafford.

“I’m absolutely flabbergasted that [Brook] cannot make England’s World Cup squad because he is pure quality. I just cannot believe it,” said Kevin Pietersen. England have to name their final World Cup squad, plus three travelling reserves, by 28 September. Brook will be in that 18.

Unfortunately, the messaging has created a defence mechanism just when the world champions want to be on the front foot.