England’s new Test vice-captain Ollie Pope has revealed how the backing he acquired from Ben Stokes final 12 months helped rebuild his self-belief.
Pope had been out and in of the aspect earlier than Stokes took over as skipper final summer time and was an unused squad member within the West Indies in Joe Root’s last sequence in cost.
The Surrey batter has beforehand admitted he feared shedding his place within the squad altogether however Stokes helped take away these insecurities by not solely restoring him to the XI, however selling him to the pivotal quantity three slot.
His output has improved considerably, averaging 38.52 within the final 12 Tests versus a modest 28.66 within the earlier 23, with a career-best 145 in opposition to New Zealand at Trent Bridge and a dashing hundred in Pakistan displaying the 25-year-old at his greatest.
Now he has been put in as Stokes’ deputy firstly of an Ashes summer time, having impressed senior members of the aspect together with his confidence and tactical acumen. He credit Stokes’ man-management with kicking off his reinvention.
“I think there was a time after the last Ashes where he thought I was better than I thought I was, to be honest,” Pope mentioned.
“That’s probably why I got picked when they (Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum) came in. He backed me for a long time more than I backed myself, for sure. He’s brought that out of me so now I feel like I’m a good player and he feels like I am too.
“I imply he is a famous person now, you journey the world with him and it does not matter what nation we’re in, he is getting recognised all over the place he goes, however the perfect factor about him is he’d do something for his crew.”
Pope has particularly enjoyed the relaxed environment that Stokes and McCullum have championed.
Training is now focused on individual requirements rather than mandatory time slots, team bonding is considered just as important as data analysis and there is a palpable sense of fun when the squad gets together.
The contrast could hardly be more apparent compared to the last Ashes tour Down Under, when Covid-19 restrictions were in force and cast a long shadow over England’s 4-0 series defeat.
“That was clearly a troublesome journey. It was additionally a visit the place we acquired put in a resort room for mainly 10 days earlier than we have been allowed out, issues that are not superb on your psychological well being,” he mentioned.
“Playing for England ought to be the perfect time of your life as a participant and on the time it most likely wasn’t.
“It was too much pressure, too much stress. What the guys like Stokes, McCullum and Rob Key have done is they’ve just made a Test match week a fun week.
“We’ll exit and play golf the day earlier than after coaching. We’ll then simply discuss ‘how good is that this? We get to play at Lord’s in entrance of a packed home’ and simply be a bit extra grateful for what we will try this week, reasonably than considering ‘oh, if I miss that, this may very well be my final one’.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
