Stand-in: Ollie Pope
(Picture: REUTERS)Stand-in wicketkeeper Ollie Pope says he is happy to continue behind the stumps for England if asked, but insists that his “main priority is to keep churning runs at No3”.
It has been a whirlwind year for Pope, who was dropped after the Ashes tour in January, unused in the Caribbean in March and then selected to bat at No3 in the summer. It was a role he had never performed in first-class cricket and he claimed it only after calling Ben Stokes and volunteering, knowing that it was the only space available in the side.
The results, however, have been positive, with an average of 40 and two centuries in the nine Tests that have followed, one of which came in the First Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.
Nevertheless, Pope is learning on the job, and the addition of wicket-keeping duties means he has taken on a part-time role alongside his new batting position. Pope has kept wicket in just eight first-class games in his career and has now batted at first drop in nine.
“I definitely didn’t expect to be keeping out here, to be honest,” said Pope, who was chosen to fill the role due to Ben Foakes suffering a virus ahead of the First Test, before he retained the gloves for the Second Test even with Foakes back fit.
“It wasn’t on my radar. With the guys getting ill last week, it gave us another bowling option, so I was happy to take it on. I’ve enjoyed the experience.”
Across the two matches, Pope has passed the test; doing more than what is expected of him, while not being perfect.
In Rawalpindi, a couple of chances went awry, but he more than made up for it with a vital catch on the final day. His performance in Multan was more run-of-the-mill, but he was involved in the controversial dismissal of Saud Shakeel, when Pakistan believed he had grounded the catch on the final day.
“I knew that it had carried,” said Pope. “But as a keeper, when you’ve got the gloves on, you honestly can’t tell [if the ball was then grounded]. The best decision to be made is up in the third umpire’s room. I didn’t know if I definitely caught it.”
Of his own performance, his pragmatic assessment was: “I took my chances, I can still do better.” He added: “I’m not even going to compare myself to Foakesy as a keeper, but I took my chances in this game. Out there, there isn’t the wobble you get in England, but there is that low, skiddy bounce. You’re dealing with that, and you have to stand nice and close.”
With Pope, England are not looking for a specialist, just someone who can keep wicket. He may miss more chances than Foakes, but the thinking is that by choosing Pope as keeper and then picking another bowler, they will be able to create even more, making his inclusion a net positive.
Nevertheless, captain Stokes has been at pains to insist that Foakes remains England’s first-choice and that their selection of Pope in Multan was the exception and not the rule.
“Not at all,” Pope responded when asked if his inclusion ahead of Surrey team-mate and close friend Foakes had caused any awkwardness. “You just do what you’re told. I didn’t
expect it, but I was happy to do the job. He’s a Surrey team-mate and the No1 keeper. It was just a way to get an extra bowler in these conditions.
“He’s the best in the world and one of my great mates, he’s been great to learn from.”
Of whether he will be keeping wicket again in Karachi for the final Third Test, which starts on Saturday, Pope said he had not given it any thought, but if asked, then “of course” he would do so.
“I’d still love to tie down No3,” said Pope, clarifying his primary focus. “I’d like to make that my own. Obviously, in different conditions, somewhere like New Zealand, we might go with a more regular team. That’s not for me to decide, but my main priority is to keep churning runs at No3.”
Meanwhile, Harry Brook’s success here — two centuries in two Tests, as well as an 87 — has led skipper Stokes to make comparisons between the 23-year-old and India legend Virat Kohli.
In the aftermath of the Multan win, Stokes said: “He’s one of those rare players that you look across all formats
and you can just see him being successful everywhere. It’s a massive shout, but Kohli is one of those guys where his technique is just so simple and works everywhere. The pressure that Harry puts back onto the opposition is exactly what we’re about.”
