Ollie Pope was dropped from England’s squad halfway through the Ashes last year. Stuff like this hardly makes battling your form struggles easier. Pope is no different. Following his snub from the Ashes squad, he was left out of the New Zealand series. A home series would have been his best bet to work back to his usual best, after all, six out of his nine hundreds came in England.
Job half-done for Pope
But with Jacob Bethell growing increasingly comfortable at No. 3 for the side, Ollie Pope’s time in the wilderness was only going to increase. That was before a new management took over England’s red-ball side and another home series came around. Pope hadn’t expected to receive a call from England’s selector Marcus North, and obviously so.
In his words, it was like a debut call-up to the team. Despite that, he is wildly aware that being named in the squad merely doesn’t mean his job is done. He has yet to make his way back into the XI.
“It’s obviously been a bit of a rollercoaster year-and-a-half with all the Test stuff. It felt like a debut call yesterday, something I was hoping for but wasn’t expecting. I might not be first name on the team sheet, but it’s kind of one step closer to where I want to be.
“I played in all the places in the world. I’ve had experiences of doing well, and know what I need to do now more than ever to do well in these conditions. What I was missing was that series where you go hundred, hundred, hundred. It’s just making sure I give myself the best chance to do that whenever I do get the nod.”
Not an ideal return but a return nonetheless
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.
England already have earmarked Dan Lawrence for No. 3 and if Pope were to return, he could find himself filling an entirely different role, at least that’s what North suggested during his selection press conference on Thursday morning.
“He’s [Ollie Pope] gone out of the Test side for a number of reasons, but to have someone like Ollie, that’s obviously batted in different positions and gives us keeping cover, or if anything does happen on the morning of a game [is a boost],” North said. “And his leadership qualities and experience is something we felt was right to balance out in case of any mishaps prior to a Test match.”
The return isn’t ideal. It’s hardly a happily ever after for Pope but he is happy to not be out of contention anymore. He is glad to have a chance, regardless of how outside it is.
“The longer-term goal is to play in that. But look, I’ve not made it back into the XI yet, and I’ve got a lot of work to do. But the one thing that I never wanted to happen was to be written off before I was 30.”
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