Michael Vaughan, former England captain, expressed doubts about Ollie Pope’s suitability for the leadership role, stating that Pope is "not the kind of personality" who should be leading the team. Pope, 26, has been filling in for the injured Ben Stokes, but his batting form has declined, with three single-digit scores since assuming the captaincy.
On the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's, Pope was dismissed for just one run after playing a loose pull shot. Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook commented that it was the type of shot you would expect from someone already on 120 runs.
Vaughan, who captained England in 51 Tests, suggested that Pope’s erratic batting should be a concern for the team. He stated on the Test Match Special podcast that Pope’s insecure nature makes him a less-than-ideal choice for captaincy, despite being a valuable team player. According to Vaughan, the added responsibility has placed unnecessary pressure on Pope, who had been performing well at number three before taking on the captaincy.
Vaughan also suggested that Harry Brook could be a future England captain, while he doesn’t see Pope as fitting that role. Pope, with an average of 34 across 48 Tests, has struggled to settle at the crease, failing to get past the 20th ball in 38% of his innings, despite averaging 41.5 at number three.
Vaughan, who spent much of his Test career batting at number three, believes that position should be held by "the calmest player in the team" and recommended that Pope work on calming his nerves before batting. He expressed surprise that England’s support staff and psychologists haven’t been able to help Pope develop a routine to manage his anxiety.
Vaughan contrasted Pope with Joe Root, noting that Root’s disciplined pre-batting routine helps him maintain a calm and focused mindset. He suggested that Pope needs to establish a similar process to improve his performance at the crease.