Ollie Pope, the English cricket player, has recently undergone a successful shoulder operation following his exclusion from the 2023 Ashes series.
The 25-year-old, who plays for Surrey, took to Twitter to share a photo from the hospital, marking the start of his recovery journey.
Pope sustained the shoulder injury while fielding during the second Test between England and Australia at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
Despite the injury, he was called upon to field by the on-field umpire, leaving England’s spin-bowling coach Jeetan Patel bewildered by the decision.
“I was on heavy painkillers” – Ollie Pope
Surgery a success 🙏🏻🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/yBMQVaQP3q
— Ollie Pope (@OPope32) July 19, 2023
In a tweet, Pope confirmed the surgery’s success and expressed his desire to return for England’s future assignment, the India tour next year, featuring five Tests in 2024. This tour will be led by Ben Stokes and his team.
In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Pope revealed that the painkillers he took for the injury caused drowsiness, making it difficult for him to stay awake while waiting to bat.
Although he managed to play through the innings, some shots exacerbated the discomfort. However, he decided against continuing on the pitch, not wanting to attract unnecessary attention from the Australian players.
During the Ashes series, Pope scored 42 runs in the first innings at Lord’s, but his second innings ended abruptly with an impressive delivery from Mitchell Starc.
Across the two games, he accumulated a total of 90 runs. As the series progresses, England currently trails 2-1 after a loss at Edgbaston and Lord’s, but they secured a victory at Headingley.
In the fourth Test at Manchester, England chose to bowl first after winning the toss, with Ben Stokes leading the team.
With his successful surgery, Pope is now focused on rehabilitation to regain fitness and be ready for future challenges in international cricket.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
