Ollie Pope, England’s vice-captain, talked about his journey to overcome criticism and regain form, particularly highlighting his century against India at Headingley. Pope emphasized his return to his natural game as a key factor in achieving his best batting form. Despite speculation about substituting him with Jacob Bethell, the team chose to keep faith in Pope.
Pope shared, “I’ve tried not to let it affect me too much, to be honest. I’m well aware there’s probably a fair bit that’s been said, but for me, I’ve just been trying to make sure my game’s in as good a place as possible, and when I get in, I try to make sure I make the most of it.”
He continued, “I’ve tried to let the outside noise do its thing and just try to make sure my game keeps improving, and I get my headspace in a good place too.”
Reflecting on the early phases of the series, Pope noted, “Look, it’s early in the series, and there’s a lot of stuff to be done. And I think I’ve had some really good series, and I’ve had some not-so-good series, so I think that’s just kind of the way.”
Concluding, he said, “I guess starting at number 3, you might get a ball with your name on it, and you might think I’m out of nick when you’re not. I think my approach is just trying to take each game as it comes and, yeah, hopefully, continue cementing that spot.”