- Ollie Pope has struggled during England’s summer Test series against Sri Lanka
- Michael Vaughan has suggested the 26-year-old is not ready to be captain.
- Pope has been captain in place of the injured Ben Stokes.
Michael Vaughan has backed up his criticism of Ollie Pope by claiming the England vice-captain is not fit to be the team’s senior captain.
Pope has been relied upon to score big runs in the absence of the injured Ben Stokes but has struggled at the crease during his side’s current 100 per cent winning record against their summer Test opponents.
The 26-year-old managed a combined total of just 18 runs in two innings against Sri Lanka during the third Test which the hosts won comfortably by 190 runs at Lord’s.
Pope has been criticised for his performances during the summer trials, despite previously being tipped to captain the national team. Harry Brook is currently Stokes’ understudy.
Legendary England captain Vaughan has given his assessment of Pope’s suitability for the high-pressure role that has previously proved difficult for the likes of Joe Root and Alistair Cook.
Ollie Pope has struggled during England’s summer Test series against Sri Lanka
Pope (pictured) had been relied upon to score big runs for England against Sri Lanka in the absence of Ben Stokes.
English cricket legend Michael Vaughan has claimed that Pope is not cut out to be captain
Writing in his column for The telegraphVaughan praised Pope for being an ideal understudy to the captain but stressed his belief that the London-born player is not cut out to be the main man in England’s line-up.
“Ollie Pope is the ideal vice-captain for England. Pope is the perfect complement to Ben Stokes,” Vaughan said.
“He’s a great guy, he trains well and he’s a real team man, someone who can give tactical advice when needed and who is happy in the background. But it’s better to keep him in that role, as vice-captain, than to promote him to captain.
The 26-year-old managed a combined total of just 18 runs in two innings against Sri Lanka during the third Test.
“Not all vice-captains are going to be captains. There are also many captains who cannot be vice-captains, including myself. I wanted to be the leader. I wanted to make the decisions,” he added.
“I didn’t want to be the reflective tactician in the background. I hope Pope fights his way out of his slump.
“Hopefully he can find a way to get that rhythm. In game time, he’s not going to be captain and it’s all about his batting. Can he find that rhythm and calmness at the crease?” Vaughan said.
