OLLIE IS SEEN AS ‘A GREAT LEADER’
Broad: He has what it takes
OLLIE POPE is happy to embrace his latest role as a senior England player and captain-inwaiting behind Ben Stokes.
Pope has made steady progress under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, first as the team’s No.3 batter, and now as a player with clear leadership qualities.
It is why the 25-year-old was asked to lead the side against the England Lions in November ahead of the Pakistan series, and it is why he has just done the same in the sole warm-up game in New Zealand as Stokes sat it out. With 33 Tests under his belt, Pope is developing the experience needed to step into the role whenever the time may come, and with two hundreds and five fifties in the past year he has emerged as the most dependable long-term option for the job. “It might be an option they are looking at in the future,” said Pope. “It’s just good to be seen as a leader in that changing room. “Stokesy is the captain, he knows exactly how he wants to run it, but he comes up and bounces ideas off me sometimes. If he wants to do that during a game, I’m more than happy to use my knowledge.
“I’m just going to keep developing that cricket brain and if it came about in the future, great, I will make sure that I learn as much as possible before then.” The Surrey batter is also held in high esteem by the rest of the dressing room, with one-time England T20 captain Stuart Broad confident he has what it takes to step up one day.
“Popey is a great leader,” said Broad, below. “He speaks really well in the group, he’s got a great cricket mind and there’s no doubt you can see him as a future England captain.
“He’s grown so much in the last year, in the way he operates, the confidence and responsibility he’s been given.”
In Pope, it is clear that Stokes has got a player soaking up all that he and McCullum have to teach him about leadership and match tactics.
Pope has evolved from a player full of talent but often wracked with doubt, into a clear thinking and blossoming Test-match cricketer and they have certainly been impressed with his contributions.
In Pakistan he stepped into the role of wicketkeeper batsman, initially due to Ben Foakes’ illness, and he selflessly delivered exactly what the team required at the time – similar qualities to those found in Stokes.
For now though he has a big job on his plate at No.3 as England attempt to get on top of New Zealand’s experienced attack – the first Test in Tauranga starts on Thursday – before the attention turns to the Ashes and Australia this summer.
“Baz McCullum and Stokesy have been great,” said Pope.
“They’ve allowed us young players to grow and I think each one of us feel like it’s our team now.
“At the same time I realise I have got a big job at No.3 to keep doing.
“If I can keep impressing there, who knows what the future holds?”