Ollie Pope has dubbed Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale his "lucky charm" after scoring 121 runs on the first day of the second Test against West Indies. Ramsdale, who was part of England’s squad for the Euro 2024 final, was invited by Gunners fan Pope to Trent Bridge on Thursday. Interestingly, Ramsdale was also present when Pope scored a double century against Ireland at Lord’s last year.
Pope shared that Ramsdale had messaged him the night before the match, and he managed to arrange a couple of tickets for him. "He can come more often," Pope remarked, noting Ramsdale’s positive influence.
Pope’s sixth Test century, all achieved against different teams, contributed to England’s total of 416 on an action-packed first day in Nottingham. Ramsdale, who had played junior cricket in Staffordshire before focusing on football, has become a frequent supporter of Pope.
As a devoted Arsenal fan, Pope often attends Ramsdale’s matches and humorously suggests that Ramsdale’s presence brings him luck on the cricket field as well. Earlier this year, Pope played a remarkable innings, scoring 196 runs against India in Hyderabad, though he struggled in the remaining matches of the tour.
Despite a modest start in the County Championship this season, with his highest score being 63 for Surrey, Pope opened his England summer with a solid 57 in the first Test victory over the Windies at Lord’s. Following his century in the second Test, he credited his success to training with England batting coach Marcus Trescothick, which took place when he missed Surrey’s Championship match against Essex in early July.
Reflecting on his performance, Pope admitted he questioned why he wasn’t averaging 50 like other county players, but emphasised the positive impact of his work with Trescothick. Having made his Test debut at 20 against India in 2018, Pope is now the England vice-captain and, with 45 caps, one of the team’s senior players following the retirements of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, and Jonny Bairstow’s drop.
Since moving to the number three position in 2022, Pope has scored five centuries, more than any other England batter in that spot since Jonathan Trott. However, his career Test batting average stands at 35.52. Former England captain Michael Vaughan noted on the Test Match Special podcast that Pope’s primary goal is to excel against top teams like India and Australia. Vaughan believes that while Pope will likely accumulate runs against teams like West Indies, his true test will be performing consistently against the best, which will elevate him to the status of a world-class player.