Pressure the Spark for England's Ollie Pope Ahead of Ashes Series Against Australia.
England batsman Ollie Pope believes that pressure to retain his place in the team has helped him prepare for the upcoming Ashes series against Australia. The 27-year-old, who averages a disappointing 15.70 against the Australians, will take on Jacob Bethell's emerging threat at No 3 in Perth this Friday.
Pope was dropped from England's Test side during their last tour of Australia in 2021/22, averaging just 11.16 runs in six innings. He was subsequently restored for the final test after a chastening series. The England vice-captain credits his experience playing international cricket for helping him to develop mental toughness.
He believes that having to deal with pressure on his place has made him more prepared for this Ashes series, stating: "I know I can deal with that and get the best out of myself at times." Pope, who averaged 35.36 in his career overall, is aware of the conversation surrounding his place in the team but acknowledges that he has to remind himself to focus on playing good cricket.
The England batsman also revealed that the experience of playing big series has helped him develop a clear understanding of how he wants to play in Australia, stating: "I've played 61 Tests now... I've got that in the bank. There are guys experiencing places like Australia for the first time and my senior spot in the team is about leaning on those guys and helping them out because I have experienced what an Ashes tour can be like."
Pope's focus will shift from individual struggles to helping his teammates as he takes on Bethell in Perth, with England set to face Australia in their first test of the five-match series.
England batsman Ollie Pope believes that pressure to retain his place in the team has helped him prepare for the upcoming Ashes series against Australia. The 27-year-old, who averages a disappointing 15.70 against the Australians, will take on Jacob Bethell's emerging threat at No 3 in Perth this Friday.
Pope was dropped from England's Test side during their last tour of Australia in 2021/22, averaging just 11.16 runs in six innings. He was subsequently restored for the final test after a chastening series. The England vice-captain credits his experience playing international cricket for helping him to develop mental toughness.
He believes that having to deal with pressure on his place has made him more prepared for this Ashes series, stating: "I know I can deal with that and get the best out of myself at times." Pope, who averaged 35.36 in his career overall, is aware of the conversation surrounding his place in the team but acknowledges that he has to remind himself to focus on playing good cricket.
The England batsman also revealed that the experience of playing big series has helped him develop a clear understanding of how he wants to play in Australia, stating: "I've played 61 Tests now... I've got that in the bank. There are guys experiencing places like Australia for the first time and my senior spot in the team is about leaning on those guys and helping them out because I have experienced what an Ashes tour can be like."
Pope's focus will shift from individual struggles to helping his teammates as he takes on Bethell in Perth, with England set to face Australia in their first test of the five-match series.
... Like, 15.70 vs Aussie is still not great, but at least he's owning up to it and saying he's more prepared now 
. And let's be real, 35.36 is a pretty solid career average 
. I'm not trying to be defensive or anything, but I think Pope is getting a bit of a raw deal 
... People need to remember that cricket is an individual sport and it's okay if he's not perfect all the time 
. And honestly, who hasn't struggled with pressure at some point? 
At least Pope is using it as fuel to improve 
. Bring on the Ashes series! 
just saw that Ollie Pope is being put under pressure to perform again and now they're talking about him dropping him from the team if he doesn't step up his game against Australia 
. Like, isn't he 27 already? Can't he just chill for once? 
And don't even get me started on this Jacob Bethell guy, new kid on the block trying to steal Pope's spot... 
I swear, cricket is just a never-ending cycle of disappointment 
.
anyway, it's all good that he's taking this pressure thing as a positive and using it to fuel his game... but let's not forget that the ashles series is gonna be a tough one for england regardless, no matter who plays or how well pope bats 
. It's like when our kiddos get nervous before a big test or school event - sometimes they just need a little reminder that it's okay to make mistakes & learn from them 
. Pope's experience of being dropped & then restored is like getting a second chance, and I think he's learned a lot from that 
Pressure is a funny thing... Ollie Pope thinks it's helped him get mentally tough for the Ashes? Like, I get it, it's a big deal being dropped and then brought back, but 15.70 against Australia is still pretty cringeworthy 
. And now he's all about reminding himself to focus on playing good cricket? It sounds like he's trying way too hard 
. But hey, at least he's aware of the conversation surrounding his place in the team... that's more than I can say for some players who just coast through 
. Still, it'll be interesting to see how he performs against Jacob Bethell this Friday 
.
. Ugh, I'm so confused!
also gotta say england's squad depth is a major plus this year - it'll be interesting to see how pope fits into the mix 
. It's like he's learnin' to appreciate the bigger picture 
. And that experience from playin' so many Tests is just goin' to serve him well 
... I'm rootin' for 'im to have a good series and show Australia what he's all about 