Following England’s series loss to Pakistan, criticism has mounted over Ollie Pope. England’s vice-captain went through a lean spell with the bat in 2024. Ahead of the New Zealand tour, England has a decision to make over Pope’s future.
Ollie Pope tough 2024 with the bat
Ollie Pope is regarded as one of the future stars of English cricket. However, with the Surrey player struggling for runs in 2024, criticism has mounted from fans and pundits. There is no doubt that Pope is a talented cricket player, and some of his shots are reminiscent of those of Ian Bell. With 55 runs scored in five innings against Pakistan, it could spell the end for Ollie Pope.
Secondly, batting at three is a tough task for any player. With Joe Root slotting down into four, Pope had no choice but to be promoted up the order. Furthermore, with Root excelling at four in the batting line-up, Pope has been thrust into an unfamiliar position. Whenever Pope has batted for club side Surrey, it has predominantly been in the lower order, either batting at five or six. Considering how tough international cricket is with the pedigree of bowlers, Pope has been dealt an unfair hand.
England captain Ben Stokes reiterated his support for his players, stating that England’s top-order players are England’s best players. However, fans are against this and have stated several replacements. James Rew, Tom Abell from Somerset, and Ollie Robinson from Durham have been mentioned. All of these Tests are to plan for the Ashes next year, with England expected to take a vast crop of players.
Nasser Hussain weights in on Pope’s debate
Speaking on Sky Sports ahead of the final Test against Pakistan, Nasser Hussain said, “Pope has been pushing hard at it. He is feast or famine he goes through these periods. He started against India with a brilliant hundred and ninety then won’t get many in the summer. Then he will score a hundred at the Oval to end the summer.”
“You forget that he scored a hundred two or three games ago. Ollie Pope doesn’t seem to continue that form along. If you look at other players that get in form, they cash in the next game. If Root is in Nick next game, he will get runs the same as Zach Crawley. With Pope, you never know it’s almost fingers crossed, there’s no form with him it just goes up and down with him.”
The biggest issue with Ollie Pope is consistency. There is no doubt he is a talented cricket player, but to be successful, consistency is key. Under Stokes’ captaincy, England backed several players under pressure, and the same was done for Pope. When Crawley was under pressure early on in Stokes’ reign, he was supported by the new coaches, and a year later, he finished as the highest scorer in the Ashes. England fans hope that the Pope will find form as soon as England continues preparing for the ashes in Australia.
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