With the absence of Ben Stokes playing the Test series against Sri Lanka, the regular Test captain hamstrung in the game versus Somerset from The Hundred 2024, many questions had been asked of how England would manage without its best cricketer. Indeed, England won the first Test of the series one-sidedly, but too many issues, especially regarding Ollie Pope, are still a major concern.
The former captain of England, Michael Vaughan, showed concern for the current performance of the young pope and his credibility as captain.
Michael Vaughan slammed Pope’s leadership ability for, ” I don’t like him as the captain. He’s not the kind of personality I’d want leading England. While he’s a great team player, he seems quite insecure. The added pressure of captaincy has not been beneficial. Harry Brook, for me, is more the England captain in the making. I don’t see Ollie Pope as that type at all.”
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Vaughan was frustrated too that Pope hadn’t knuckled down and started to regularize his scores despite all the work with England’s psychological and backroom personnel. He compared Pope with Joe Root, one of England’s most reliable Test batsmen.
Vaughan said, “I am astonished that with all the psychologists and support staff that England have, they haven’t helped Pope find composure. Take Joe Root, for instance. His mental routine is great. He stretches, touches his toes, gets the legs going, and then charges in. I am not seeing a ritual, a process, with Ollie Pope.
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The struggles for Pope continued into the second Test, getting out for just a single run off ten deliveries. Pope needs to make a serious contribution with the bat, come the second innings for England, as some of the critics get on his case, so he does not lose his place in the team. He is under pressure to perform and justify his place both as a batsman and on the leadership front.
