Ollie Pope has somehow earned a place back in England’s squad for Pakistan Tests. The opening Test will be played at Headingley, and while Pope isn’t a certain starter, the venue is where he played one of his last home Tests, against India in June last year.
“There were people in the stands shouting ‘enjoy your last Test mate!'” Pope recalled hearing someone in the crowd shout at him. “I was like ‘jeez, they’re England fans saying that!'”
The mental toll of public scrutiny
The fans obviously had their reasons, justified or otherwise, to bad-mouth Pope like that, but it did not make the predicament easier for him. He had his batting struggles to deal with on top of another batter, Jacob Bethell, ready to be handed his No. 3 spot, which he had retained after a lengthy debate.
“Every cricketer wants to be liked by the fans. I was at a point where I didn’t feel that very much at all,” he explains. “We are very lucky to get amazing support, and it’s such a cool feeling when people tell you they are happy for you on the good days. But at that time I probably didn’t feel I was too popular in the game… and it doesn’t help you perform.”
In that same Test game, Pope managed to hit his first century against a full-member nation since September 2024 and showed the selectors their decision to stick with him wasn’t flawed. But the runs soon dried up again and he found himself axed from the side halfway through the Ashes.
“I was understanding, but disappointed because I hadn’t given the best account of myself.”
A second chance in unlikely circumstances
His time in the wilderness would have been longer had it not been for an injured Bethell leaving a spot empty while a new management was desperate to find solutions for long-standing problems.
Pope knows his recall isn’t without any caveats. Despite having County Championship runs to show for, where he boasts a 56 average in seven games this season, and despite Jacob Bethell out injured, Pope would not walk into the side with a spot already waiting for him.
But the thought that he has not been written off yet is all the same very reassuring for him.
“Of course I would love to be in the side, rather than running drinks or heading back to play in the Championship,” he says. “But to know I am still in their minds, have a chance to prove my worth, and that this story is not over yet is a massive positive for me.”
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