Michael Vaughan Questions Ollie Pope’s Captaincy, Labels Him ‘Insecure’ Amid ENG vs SL Test Struggles

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has expressed doubts about Ollie Pope’s suitability for leading the England cricket team. In a recent discussion on BBC’s Test Match Special podcast, Vaughan suggested that Pope, who is filling in as captain due to Ben Stokes‘ hamstring injury, appears insecure and ill-suited for the role.

Vaughan’s Concerns About Pope’s Leadership

Vaughan, 49, shared his reservations about Pope’s captaincy, stating, “I don’t like him as the captain. He’s not the kind of personality I’d want as the England captain. He’s quite an insecure human being – a great team guy and person but throwing the captaincy on him has added the pressure.”

Vaughan further elaborated that Pope’s struggles with the bat, highlighted by his two single-figure scores in the first Test against Sri Lanka and a meager one run on day one of the second Test at Lord’s, could be attributed to the added burden of captaincy. He remarked, “He was doing great at number three. Harry Brook, for me, is an England captain in the making. I don’t see Ollie Pope as that person.”

Root’s Example and Pope’s Struggles

Vaughan contrasted Pope’s current state with that of former England captain Joe Root, who scored his 33rd century in the same match, helping England reach a solid 358/7 by stumps. Vaughan suggested that Pope could learn from Root’s approach, saying, “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.”

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He added, “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. I don’t know if I look at Ollie Pope and see a routine or a process.”

England’s Position in the Series

Despite Pope’s struggles, England leads the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka 1-0, following a five-wicket victory in Manchester.

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