As Ollie Pope prepares to lead the England cricket team for the first time, he remains confident of having Ben Stokes’ full backing. The right-handed batter, who is set to captain in the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, expressed his belief that Stokes will allow him to “do his own thing” while being available for guidance if needed.
Pope steps in as the stand-in captain after Stokes sustained a hamstring injury during The Hundred 2024, forcing the all-rounder to miss the rest of England’s summer fixtures. Despite the injury, Ben Stokes is hopeful of returning in time for England’s three-Test tour of Pakistan later this year.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka, Pope shared his thoughts on leading the team and the support he expects from Stokes. As reported by Sky Sports, Pope said, “I am sat next to [Stokes] in the changing room and it will be great to have him around. If I want to lean on him I can, but I think he will let me do my own thing. He has said he is happy to do that. He will be watching and chat with Baz [Test coach Brendon McCullum] so I can have those conversations in the intervals if I think something needs to change.”
Pope, who has been a key player for England in recent years, also emphasized his confidence in his own abilities to read the game and adapt his tactics as the series progresses. “I know how well he has managed our bowlers especially, so I have picked his brains on it, but it will be a lot of the same messages with a different voice and in my own way. It’s about not overcomplicating it for me. I think I read the game fairly well and Stokesy and I have often been of the same mindset. As the series goes on, it will let itself out for me. It is still Stokesy’s team. Everyone is pretty clear how they want to go about this week and the series in general.”
With the first Test against Sri Lanka set to begin, England has announced their playing XI, making a few notable changes from the side that secured a 3-0 victory over the West Indies in their last series. Dan Lawrence will open the innings in place of Zak Crawley, while Matthew Motts comes in as an additional seamer.
Pope, aware of the challenge posed by the Sri Lankan team, underlined the importance of not underestimating their opponents. “We don’t underestimate any of the teams that come over here. Our target is to win 3-0 but we realise Sri Lanka have got some good experienced guys who have played a lot of Test matches. The main focus is on ourselves. We will just play our best cricket and try and put on a good performance. Hopefully the scoreboard at the end reflects that.”
England will be looking to continue their winning momentum from their recent series sweep against the West Indies as they take on Sri Lanka in what promises to be a competitive Test series.
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