Ollie Pope has nothing but respect for Aussie great Steve Smith, but reckons England will present a stiffer and quirkier challenge for him this summer.
Smith collected his 31st Test hundred against India in the World Test Championship final in ominous style ahead of his eighth Ashes series.
The 34-year-old averages 60 from his 32 matches against England so far and looks set to continue that trend this summer after a stint with Sussex got him nicely acclimatised for the Test summer. But Pope is happy to suspend his appreciation of the batting legend, with Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum ready to mastermind a miserable campaign for the Aussie.
“It’s obvious he knows these conditions, knows his game inside out, so there’s a lot of respect for him,” said Pope. "There’s also a lot of talented bowlers in our changing-room who have worked out ways we can challenge him – both edges as well.
“I think that’s probably going to be the main thing for ourselves. Can’t say too much but there’s probably slightly different plans this time. Steve Smith is a highly skilled batter and scores a lot of runs but I think for him we might be looking at even quirkier ways to challenge him, test him out and make him as uncomfortable as we possibly can to try and get his wicket.
“He's got his routines - his slightly longer routines - before he faces each ball and he won't be ready until he's done all those routines. But that is exactly the bubble we need to try to get him out of. There’s a lot of respect for him in our changing-room and guys who obviously are doing a lot right so hopefully we can find a quirky way of really challenging him and, hopefully he doesn’t score too many against us.”
Pope took on the Glenn McGrath role after saying in one interview that he would be looking for a 5-0 scoreline for England in the series, and with them playing result based cricket, it is hard to see where the draws will come from. But Australia already look in the groove the way their bowlers have backed up their batters at the Oval just a week out from the Ashes.
The fact is though that England are on a hot streak and should be a markedly different prospect than the team beaten in the last Ashes Down Under in 2021/22. Pope averaged just 11 across three matches in that series and is keen to show just how much he has improved since then.
“I've got a lot more experience,” added Pope. “I know my game a lot better. I've worked hard at my game from a technical point of view, with less hand and foot movement, a stiller base. “From a mental point of view I am able to go and play rather than have to worry about getting out the whole time and what's going to be said to me. I'm definitely a better player than I was in the last Ashes and hopefully I can show that in the runs I score.”
Ollie Pope was speaking on behalf of Radox, the Official Shower Gel of England Cricket #FeelRefreshedWithRadox
