Morné Morkel says Ollie Pope has qualities “you don’t see often from a 21-year-old” following the Surrey right-hander’s call-up for England’s Test tour of New Zealand.
Pope had only played six first-class matches when Morkel arrived at Surrey ahead of the 2018 county season, but he has quickly established a reputation as the outstanding young batsman in the country.
“What a talent,” said the South African of his Surrey teammate in an exclusive interview with Wisden.com. “I’m a big fan of Ollie Pope. I reckon he’s going to play some serious cricket for England. I would have liked to see him slot in for that last Ashes Test match. The way he plays pace, the way he structures his innings, is something you don’t often seen from a 21-year-old. If they give him enough time in the England set-up, they’ll reap the rewards.”
“I was very, very pleased for Rory. I did an interview at the start of the year when I said it would have been unfair if they left him out after Sri Lanka and West Indies. Then he came back to the UK, had a slowish start in county cricket and failed against Ireland, with a lot of people speaking about his technique. To finish the third-highest run-scorer in a big series when openers weren’t getting many at all just shows the character of the guy.
“I think he’s got fantastic leadership qualities as well. As soon as he finds his feet more on the international scene, he’ll be a great help for guys like Stokes and Root on the field. He’s got a good cricket brain, he’s a fantastic fielder and he’s definitely a guy who can form part of the senior group in that squad.”
