NEW DELHI: Ollie Pope, standing in as England’s Test captain for the injured Ben Stokes, has sought guidance from former skipper Joe Root on balancing leadership responsibilities with batting performance.
Despite leading England to a five-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Old Trafford, Pope experienced a personal dip in form, recording two ducks in the match.
Recognizing the challenges of captaincy, Pope has turned to Root, who captained England in a record 64 Tests, for advice on compartmentalizing the roles.
“I really enjoyed the week. The runs didn’t translate for me but hopefully over the next two weeks, I can put aside my captaining when it’s time to bat and focus on my batting. It’s about having the two things separate. That’s something I’ve spoken to Joe Root about. We just spoke about how it’s more taxing in the field but it’s finding a little routine and doing small things,” Pope said ahead of the second Test, as quoted by AFP.
Root, known for his successful tenure as captain and prolific batting record, has shared his insights with Pope on managing the mental demands of leadership while maintaining focus on individual performance.
“It’s just finding a way to compartmentalise. Chatting to Rooty, he’s obviously got a great cricket brain and is England’s best batter, so we just bounced a few ideas off each other,” Pope added.
England’s recent success under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum has been characterized by an aggressive, high-scoring approach. However, the first Test against Sri Lanka saw England adopt a more measured approach, with Root’s patient half-century anchoring a successful run chase on a slow pitch.
“We don’t use the term ‘Bazball’ but we played a different style of cricket (at Old Trafford) and that’s something that can keep taking us forward as a team. When we can be ruthless, we’ve got to try and be ruthless just to win as many games as possible,” added the batter.
While Stokes continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, Pope expressed confidence in the all-rounder’s availability for the upcoming tours of Pakistan and New Zealand, noting, “Injuries are never ideal but they’re also great chances for people to keep improving their game and a have a bit of time for reflection and think about what they can work on. I’m sure that’s exactly what he’s doing in the nets. Going into that Pakistan series and then New Zealand he’s going to be as fresh as anyone.”
Despite leading England to a five-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Old Trafford, Pope experienced a personal dip in form, recording two ducks in the match.
Recognizing the challenges of captaincy, Pope has turned to Root, who captained England in a record 64 Tests, for advice on compartmentalizing the roles.
“I really enjoyed the week. The runs didn’t translate for me but hopefully over the next two weeks, I can put aside my captaining when it’s time to bat and focus on my batting. It’s about having the two things separate. That’s something I’ve spoken to Joe Root about. We just spoke about how it’s more taxing in the field but it’s finding a little routine and doing small things,” Pope said ahead of the second Test, as quoted by AFP.
Root, known for his successful tenure as captain and prolific batting record, has shared his insights with Pope on managing the mental demands of leadership while maintaining focus on individual performance.
“It’s just finding a way to compartmentalise. Chatting to Rooty, he’s obviously got a great cricket brain and is England’s best batter, so we just bounced a few ideas off each other,” Pope added.
England’s recent success under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum has been characterized by an aggressive, high-scoring approach. However, the first Test against Sri Lanka saw England adopt a more measured approach, with Root’s patient half-century anchoring a successful run chase on a slow pitch.
“We don’t use the term ‘Bazball’ but we played a different style of cricket (at Old Trafford) and that’s something that can keep taking us forward as a team. When we can be ruthless, we’ve got to try and be ruthless just to win as many games as possible,” added the batter.
While Stokes continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, Pope expressed confidence in the all-rounder’s availability for the upcoming tours of Pakistan and New Zealand, noting, “Injuries are never ideal but they’re also great chances for people to keep improving their game and a have a bit of time for reflection and think about what they can work on. I’m sure that’s exactly what he’s doing in the nets. Going into that Pakistan series and then New Zealand he’s going to be as fresh as anyone.”
