Former England captain Nasser Hussain has opened up on Ollie Pope’s captaincy ahead of the Sri Lanka tour. As full-time captain Ben Stokes suffered a hamstring tear while playing for the Northern Superchargers in the Hundred, Pope will step into the leadership shoes for England for the three-match Test series against the Asian team.
Hussain said Pope is a bit of a worrier, a bit of a fretter but he will need to continue what Ben Stokes has been doing as a leader. This will be the first time when Pope will lead England in a Test series in the absence of Stokes.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Nasser Hussain said, “I still see Ollie as a bit meek, a bit of a worrier, a bit of a fretter- you can see that in his batting. So he has to bluff it a little bit. Stokes does not bluff it. But he’s been brought up in the school of Stokes and McCullum, so he will just continue the exact form of messaging. He won’t be changing a lot.”
Hussain noted that captaincy doesn’t come naturally for Pope as compared to Ben Stokes.
“I don’t think it comes as naturally to him as it does for Ben Stokes. Ben Stokes actually epitomises what he talks about. Eoin Morgan often talks about in white-ball cricket, if you’re going to send a message you have to do that message yourself. I think Stokes does that better than Ollie Pope.”
Meanwhile, Pope can be a nervous starter with the bat but he will look to lead with aplomb in home conditions.
On the other hand, Eoin Morgan hailed Ben Stokes for leading with clarity and giving freedom to his players to get the best out of them.
“I think Ben will be very similarly aligned to me. I stood back, took the drinks. I was there for support. The timing of this doesn’t come at a bad time. For two years now, Ben and Brendon have really nailed a template and a formula in how they want to go about their business, particularly when their backs are against the wall. And each and every player already has that clarity.”
The opening Test match between England and Sri Lanka will be played from August 21 in Manchester.
