Ollie Pope: England batter calls Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale ‘lucky charm’ after century against West Indies

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Ollie Pope: England batter calls Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale ‘lucky charm’ after century against West Indies

And after following up with his century in the second Test, he credited training done with England batting coach Marcus Trescothick when Pope sat out Surrey’s Championship match against Essex at the beginning of July.

Pope added: “I wouldn’t say I had doubts, but I was thinking ‘why is everyone else in the country scoring runs in county cricket, but England’s number three isn’t going out and averaging 50?’

“Tres came to London and we did some really good work, which has put me in really good stead for the Test summer.”

Pope was aged 20 when he made his Test debut against India in 2018. Six years on he is the England vice-captain and, with 45 caps, one of the most senior players in the team after James Anderson and Stuart Broad retired and Jonny Bairstow was dropped.

Since being promoted to number three in 2022 he has made five centuries, more than any other England batter in that position since Jonathan Trott. However, across his career, his Test batting average is 35.52.

“His big goal in his Test career is to go on and play really well against the high-quality teams, such as India and Australia,” former England captain Michael Vaughan told the Test Match Special podcast.

“Against sides like West Indies he will just climb into the runs. His real big mental challenge is whether or not he can go and do it against India next summer and in Australia in a year-and-a-half.

“That will take him to that next level, the level where we all start to go: ‘What a world-class performer’. He will only become that once he has done it against the really quality teams.”

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