England Test coach Brendon McCullum has backed vice-captain Ollie Pope who hasn’t been in the best of forms after his heroics in the first Test against India of the ongoing series. England has already lost the five-match series 2-1, before the final match at Dharamshala.
Since Ollie Pope’s 196 in the first Test, he has failed to put up a substantial score. He has managed just 88 runs in the next three matches, including a pair in the fourth test at Ranchi. Ahead of the final match, Brendon McCullum backed the vice-captain saying that he knows his role in the team. The England coach said,
“He’s aware of what he needs to do. He obviously bagged them in the last Test and he’s gutted about that but look at the way he was then helping the skipper on the last day and diving around in the field.”
“That’s the stuff you’re desperate for as a coach, to see people giving it their best regardless of their own performance. He displayed great leadership qualities and that showed where he’s at as a player, member of this team and as a person,” he added.
Ollie Pope is trying to be as calm as he can be: Brendon McCullum
England coach Brendon McCullum further cited examples of former cricketers Kevin Pietersen and Ricky Ponting, saying they also took their time to settle into their innings throughout their careers. Pope has been criticised for looking jittery at the start of his innings. Brendon McCullum said,
“Look at Kevin Pietersen and Ricky Ponting when they first went out to bat. They were frenetic at the start and everyone’s susceptible when they first go out there. It’s just the way it is.”
“But Popey is trying to be as calm as he can be when he goes out there and there’s a period when he needs to grab information from the wicket and get the rhythm of how the game is going,” he added.
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