After a horrific Ashes tour of Australia saw him axed by England for their next tour of the West Indies, Ollie Pope found his Test career at a crossroads having failed to translate his excellent domestic record into consistent runs on the international stage.
Against Australia, Pope managed just 67 runs in six innings at an average of 11.16, with his Test average slipping to just 28.66 after 23 appearances. However, the new captain and coach combination of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum believed in Pope's potential and tasked him with making the number three position his own, despite never having batted there before.
McCullum in particular spent time with Pope, instilling him with confidence and helping him embrace the new positive and aggressive approach England were looking to take. Managing Director Rob Key revealed in July that McCullum made sure he would get one-on-one time with Pope by asking him to give him a lift to the ground before play.
