Pope sought wisdom from former England Test captain Joe Root.
Ollie Pope, who replaced the injured Ben Stokes in the first Test match, will step down as England captain the second he bats at Lord’s this week after struggling to meet both demands.
Stokes suffered a torn thigh muscle in The Hundred and was ruled out of the three-match series against Sri Lanka, with Pope taking charge and leading the side to a five-wicket win at Emirates Old Trafford last week.
The experience wasn’t without its drawbacks, as Pope was shut out twice by six runs, and even when batting third, the weight of leadership duties still felt heavy.
“One of the things we can improve on this week and next week is to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Pope said ahead of the second Test starting on Thursday.
“When I come out of the stadium and put my pads on right after the third batter, I know I can step up to the plate at any time.
“Probably the most important thing – not thinking about all the decisions you just made on the field, but thinking, ‘Okay, now it’s time to step up to the plate.’ When the day is over, you can look back and reflect on (the day).”
Pope, who averaged 40 under Stokes, has improved his career average to 34.64, and he has borrowed the wisdom of former England Test captain Joe Root to separate batting and leadership responsibilities.
Stokes’ immediate predecessor, Root, averaged 46.44 during his tenure from 2017 to 2022, scoring 14 centuries in 64 Tests. The Yorkshire native was often England’s key batting player in underperforming teams.
“We’ve talked about the need to do more on the ground, but it’s important to find small routines and do small things,” Pope said.
“It’s just about making sure that we continue to do what has brought us success over the last few years and just repeat that. It’s just about finding a way to compartmentalize it.
“I spoke to Ruthie and he obviously has a brilliant mind for cricket and he’s the best batsman in England. So we bounced some ideas off each other.”
Ollie Stone will play his fourth Test match this week, his first since June 2021. Mark Wood will feature alongside the regulars, with Stokes and Jack Crawley both on the injury list for the remainder of the series.
Despite James Anderson’s impending retirement and Jamie Smith having displaced both Jonny Bairstow and Ben Fawkes as wicketkeepers, England are looking to make it four wins in all competitions this summer.
While Stokes and Brendan McCullum’s axis was characterised by aggressive batting, England showed another quality in Manchester as they calmly chased down 205 runs in 57.2 overs.
“What Brendan has done this summer, he’s made a tremendous difference that I think will lead this team to a better place going forward,” Pope said.
“We don’t use the term buzzball but we play a different style of cricket at Old Trafford and that’s something that will continue to develop us as a team.
“When we can be ruthless, we have to be ruthless to win as many games as possible. Other days we’ll score a little more freely and take wickets in a shorter time.”
Five years after his debut, Ollie Stone is back at Lord’s and ready to take the stage. 👊
Stokes has been the first-choice goalkeeper ahead of the second Test and Pope believes the talented all-rounder will be at his best on the tour of Pakistan and New Zealand this winter.
“He’d love to be there but it’s a good sign to be moving forward,” Pope added. “He’s still quite a ways off from playing, he’s not trying to play as a batsman and first slip yet.
“Injuries are never ideal, but they are also a great opportunity for people to continue to improve their game and take time to reflect and think about what they can improve on.
“I am sure that is exactly what he does in the nets. When he goes out for the Pakistan and New Zealand series, he will be fresher than anyone else.”
