Michael Vaughan has criticised England’s stand-in Test captain Ollie Pope, saying he is an “insecure human being” and that he should not be leading the team.
Pope stepped in for Ben Stokes after the latter suffered a hamstring injury while playing in The Hundred. It ruled him out of the Test series against Sri Lanka, which forced England to turn to Pope as skipper for the three matches.
The 26-year-old, however, has been unable to impress with the bat, making 6, 6 and 1 in three innings since being given the responsibility. On Thursday (August 29), in the second Test, Pope was dismissed off a top edge by Asitha Fernando after facing 10 deliveries. The nature of his dismissal concerned experts, with Vaughan in particular, calling him a "frantic" batter.
Speaking on the Test Match Special podcast after the end of day one at Lord’s, Vaughan said: “He has to change. He can’t just keep going like that. If you look at his first ball today, it’s a length ball, probably four or five inches outside off stump. All right, there's extra bounce, but most players will leave it - you just leave it. He’s so anxious to get bat on ball.”
England have invested plenty in Pope, and he has repaid that to some degree.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 30, 2024
They will likely keep backing him for the near future, but a score sooner rather than later will ensure they aren’t tempted to look elsewhere writes @Ben_Wisden
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Pope’s numbers at No.3 were dissected by Vaughan as well. Pope has batted at the spot 40 times since 2022, averaging 41.53 with five hundreds, including a match-winning 196 against India at the start of this year.
Since then, the numbers have dipped, with Pope averaging 24.66 at No.3 in 15 innings. “I totally agree with Cookie [Alastair Cook] that he needs to try and change a mechanism and a different approach because for a number three, those stats aren't great,” he said.
“They're not good at all. And when the attacks get better, and they will do in a year's time, you just have to have a composure. You number three, usually is the calmest player, because you've lost a wicket, and your job then is to send the message to the dressing room: 'Don't worry, things are fine out here,' and usually you're up against it. Those stats are glaring, and Ollie has to work something out inside himself.”
He continued: “He has looked so frantic for such a good player. I’m amazed that with all the psychologists and the backroom staff that England have that they can’t just calm him down a little bit and give him more of an opportunity.
"Look at Joe Root, who has the most amazing mentality. He comes out to bat with an amazing routine: he stretches and touches his toes, gets his legs going and sprints on. I don’t know if I look at Ollie Pope and see a routine or a process."
Vaughan: Don’t like Pope as captain
“I don't like him as the captain,” Vaughan said. “I don't think he's the kind of personality that I'd want as England captain. I think he's quite an insecure human being - a great, great team guy. I think he's a great person. I think by throwing the captaincy on him, that's added extra pressure.”
He also threw his support behind Harry Brook as England’s future captain.
“Harry Brook, for me as an England captain in the making. I don't see Ollie Pope as that person.”
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