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[Saba Sports News] Ollie Pope is set to become the 82nd captain of England’s Test cricket team as they gear up to face Sri Lanka in a three-match series starting on August 21. The 26-year-old will step in as stand-in captain, filling the void left by Ben Stokes, who is sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
Pope’s captaincy experience is limited, with only one first-class match and eight T20 Blast games to his name. He was appointed as England’s vice-captain last summer.
Despite his absence from the field, Stokes remained involved in the team’s preparations, attending training sessions and offering guidance. Pope expressed his gratitude for Stokes’ support, emphasizing that while he’ll be leading, he plans to lean on Stokes for advice.
“It’s still Stokesy’s team. Everyone knows how they want to approach this week and the series overall. Having Stokesy in the changing room is fantastic. If I need to, I can rely on him, but he’s also giving me space to lead in my own way during this series. I’ve learned a lot from him, especially about managing our bowlers,” Pope shared during the pre-match press conference.
As he steps into this role, Pope is aware of the challenge of balancing his duties as both captain and batter. Recently in fine form, he scored a century and a half-century against West Indies.
However, he understands the importance of keeping his batting and captaincy separate.
“Hopefully, it positively impacts my batting. I’ve put in the usual work in the nets, focusing on my role at No. 3 to score big runs for the team. When I captained in the T20s for Surrey, I reminded myself that when it’s time to bat, it’s just about batting,” he added.
Pope also intends to draw on the experience of other senior players, like vice-captain Harry Brook and Joe Root, to help guide the team. Their collective experience will be vital as England aims for a series sweep against a Sri Lankan side that recently defeated India in an ODI series.
“The rest of the time, I can focus on being the captain and thinking about the team. Brooky, Rooty, and others have great cricketing minds, and there’s plenty of experience to draw from,” Pope concluded.