England has just ended their thrilling three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Even after giving a promising start to the series, the end was not as expected for the English side. Sri Lanka defeated them by 8 wickets. Ian Chappell warned that Ollie Pope risks becoming the contradictory of Joe Root. He noted Pope’s captaincy might lead to this shift.
Pope is Under Scrutiny:
Before facing Sri Lanka in a three-match Test series on home soil, England received a setback, captain Ben Stokes was ruled out after sustaining an injury. In his absence, Ollie Pope led the team in this Test series. Ollie Pope is facing criticism for his performance in the series, having scored just 191 runs across six innings at an average of 31.83.
Most of his runs came from a standout 154 in the first innings of the third Test at The Oval. Aside from this, he has struggled against Sri Lankan bowlers, showing inconsistency despite his evident talent and stylish strokeplay.
Although Pope has shown he can make big scores, his batting has been erratic. However, batting at number three has proven beneficial for him statistically. In 25 matches at this position, he has accumulated 1,798 runs, demonstrating his ability to play significant innings and contribute meaningfully to his team’s performance.
Ian Chappell’s View on Pope:
Ian Chappell noted that despite Ollie Pope‘s significant innings against a modest Lankan attack, he needs to improve. With the Ashes series in Australia approaching for 2025-26, Pope’s recent performances are concerning. In three matches in Australia, he has managed only 67 runs across six innings, indicating an area that needs attention.
He said, “Despite playing a meaningful innings against a moderate Sri Lankan attack, Ollie Pope needs more convincing knocks away from his home ground to prove he’s a substantial No. 3 batter. Otherwise, Pope is in danger of becoming the polar opposite of Joe Root – a capable captain with a feel for the job but an inconsistent batter.”
Later he added, “Batting in the middle order, Pope had a poor last tour of Australia and should be considered a potential weakness. It is not just his renowned skittishness that should interest the Australian pace bowlers, there are also some technical flaws that can be exploited.”
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Chappell warned that if Australia exposes Pope’s weaknesses and England has to drop him, the number three spot could become a danger. He said, “Currently, the English squad is limited in players who are qualified to do a sound job at number three. Without Pope, England would also be missing a suitable replacement captain if Ben Stokes suffers an injury. That would be a crucial double blow to England.”
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