I thought my future would be in football

By his own admission Ollie Pope was a late bloomer at age-group level – and the Surrey wicketkeeper showed just what 12 months can do after starring for England U19s this week.

Worcestershire’s Ollie Westbury and Somerset’s George Bartlett produced eye-catching centuries in the youth ‘Test’ against Sri Lanka but Pope’s effort, a cultured 78, was also a conspicuous way to start his U19s career.

It is just one more uptick on a trajectory that saw the 18-year-old invited onto the England Development Programme over the winter after captaining Surrey’s U17s to one-day success last season.

“The last 12 months has really taken off for me, this time last year I thought I wasn’t anywhere near second-team selection,” the 18-year-old admitted.

“Getting the call from David Graveney for this tour was amazing. I’d worked with the coaches on the England Development Programme such as Andy Hurry and Tim Boon over the winter and it’s made me realise that I’m now much more confident about my own game.”

If things had worked out differently, Pope could have been lost to football before he decided to turn all his attention on cricket. He was also a focus of Surrey’s wicketkeeping development programme as a 15-year-old – undertaking an intensive winter workout that has only helped refine his skills.

“From a young age I thought I was going to go into football,” Pope added. “I went to Chelsea and Portsmouth training camps and I was a central midfielder. But I had to make a sacrifice and I did so for my cricket. I first thought I could make a career out of it when I started playing consistently for Surrey at around the U12 level, and I said to myself that I’ve got to start make sacrifices to succeed. So I stopped playing everything else and that has probably what has paid off.

“I used to do a bit of everything, and I remember I took a five-for for Surrey in the U10s, before I picked up wicketkeeping a couple of years later. It’s something that I found came quite naturally and working with Jeremy (Greaves) and the rest of the Surrey coaches very closely, it’s become a strength.”

Pope will be in action with the U19s until the tour wraps up in mid-August and he returns to Surrey after a promising season of 2nd XI cricket so far. He has scored two half-centuries this year – including a knock of 78 against Middlesex in June – and has every reason to believe that a certain former England gloveman, Alec Stewart, is keeping close tabs on him.

Current first-choice keeper Ben Foakes is enjoying a fine year and it will likely not be long before England come calling, with Pope determined to be the one waiting in the wings.

“First and foremost I want to help the team beat Sri Lanka over the next four weeks and, hopefully, some good performances will transfer back into second-team cricket with Surrey,” Pope said.