Pope promotion a risk but he must be ready to lead side
Surrey batsman now officially heir apparent to Stokes but there is no guarantee he will last the entire Ashes series
At 10.30am on June 1 it might not be Ben Stokes wearing an England blazer for the toss before the first Test of the summer against Ireland. Instead there is a decent chance it could be Ollie Pope, now Stokes’s official vice-captain and designated heir apparent.
Stokes is returning home early from the Indian Premier League and insiders say he is intent on playing against Ireland, but there must be a good chance he will miss the game to rest his knee further for the main show of the summer against Australia.
With no disrespect to Ireland, it could be a good time for Pope to taste leadership for the first time at Test level. His promotion yesterday – coming out of the blue and quietly announced in a press release covering the Test squad and Jofra Archer’s injury – surprised some, given he has captained only one firstclass match for Surrey, but that is one more than Stokes did before he led England. The days of learning the trade captaining on the county circuit and being hard-schooled by gnarled old pros are long gone.
Stokes decided last year not to appoint an official vice-captain. England would cross that bridge if necessary, he said. But now everyone is a little more comfortable in their own skin, confident about the way to play and with clarity over what is expected, so Stokes is more content to appoint a No2.
Who are the alternatives to Pope in case of a Stokes injury? A one-off stopgap such as Joe Root or James Anderson or Stuart Broad? It would be unfair to ask Root. He has had his fill of captaincy and did not exactly have a great record against Australia. What is the future in giving it to either Broad or Anderson? Anyway, they do not need the captaincy to be leaders in the team and direct much of England’s tactical approach. They have bought into the positive approach with the ball and would not change just because Stokes is not around.
Pope is well liked in the group and matured over the winter. He is a different character to Stokes.
He does not have his presence but nobody does in English cricket right now. Appointing Pope is viewed as a way of bridging the gap between the older generation in the team and the younger crew coming through, who will be the ones tasked with taking “Bazball” forward.
Pope is inquisitive and asks questions about tactics and decisions, unlike some young batsmen who can be obsessed just with themselves and their performance. He has had his ups and downs, too, which is character-building.
At least there is some succession planning going on, something missing in the past. England, long before the Brendon Mccullum era, wanted to groom captains of the future but failed.
It is a gamble by a management that loves to spin the wheel. Despite his obvious talent, you cannot guarantee Pope will be playing the fifth Test at the Oval. He could fade away, his run scoring is not consistent and batting No3 against Australia will see him targeted like never before with the ball and verbally. He was easily crushed under foot on the last Ashes tour but England were a broken team then, not the rejuvenated force of nature they have become under Stokes.
His skittishness at the start of his innings remains a problem. He went at the ball as hard as a young Ricky Ponting in New Zealand, with the difference he did not stay in like the great Australian and make big scores.
He averages 38 under the new regime when his ability and range of shots should bring more, but England have faffed around for years over their No3 position and at least have offered consistency and restored Pope’s confidence by giving him the job for the long term.
He plays the Bazball way, in a selfless manner to try to set the innings up. The Bazball method is ingrained in his DNA now.
Pope would be a throwback as England captain – southern, posh, Surrey batsman and an Old Cranleighan. It is quite the difference from rough-edged Stokes, who talks the kind of language Australian cricketers know and respect.
Losing Stokes at any stage during the Ashes would be devastating. His leadership is irreplaceable, so it does not really matter who takes over.
The hope will be that if it does happen, Stokes’s methods have permeated so deeply that the team can cope and will not be rudderless.