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Ollie Pope begins another series with his position under scrutiny and will almost certainly face the added burden of being England’s emergency wicketkeeper.
Pope has enough on his plate at No.3 and vice-captain without having to keep wicket for the first time in red-ball cricket since the Multan Test in 2022 due to Jordan Cox’s injury.
It may only be one game with Ollie Robinson soon to be on his way to New Zealand as a late call-up, but it’s a headache Pope could do without after averaging 11 in Pakistan and with only one series left to play this year to find some consistency.
The reality is that despite fans’ angst over Pope’s performances, and there is an important body of work to judge him on now, he remains an integral part of the team. Brendon McCullum described him as a “huge player for us” as England flew to Christchurch for Thursday’s first Test. Insiders believe it is too late to bring in another new batsman first time, with India and Australia looming next year. Essentially, they’re crossing their fingers that Pope clicks.
This weekend at Queenstown he got off to a rough start in the first innings against a premiership XI, with inside and outside edges in his first 10 runs and a hit to the helmet. He regained his composure and regained some fluidity, scoring 42 but that was against an attack with just eight first-class appearances between them in conditions which won’t be too different from those in Christchurch, with plenty of life on the surface from day one.
He now prepares to face a New Zealand side in full swing after their 3-0 win in India and with a resurgent seam attack staring down the green surface of Hagley Oval. Matt Henry has taken 33 wickets this year, more than any other England barman Gus Atkinson, and 23-year-old William O’Rouke has made a big impact in his first seven Tests, taking 26 wickets at 19. his parents worked in London, O’Rourke returned to New Zealand aged five and is playing on his home court this week. He stands 6ft 4in and is compared to Steve Harmison in his style, playing on the ribs and shaping the ball right-handed.
The problem with Pope is his frenetic starts which he will probably never overcome after 52 Tests. There was a damning statistic last summer which showed he was the worst starter of any English specialist batsman in Test history – dismissed within 20 balls in 38 per cent of his Test innings – more than anyone else having had 35 or more rounds in the top six. Sweeping the spinners hard at the start or pushing forcefully on the seamers early in the innings have often been to blame and demonstrate the inner nervousness when going into bat.
If Jacob Bethell plays this week, there is an opportunity for a young drummer to put pressure on Pope. And if Robinson also trains well in New Zealand, then that opens the door for Jamie Smith to play purely as a batsman in the future, which would make the most of his undoubted potential further up the order .
But McCullum is a gambler and put his money on Pope at three. Perhaps if he named one of his racehorses Ollie it would have a strengthening effect. A gelding he owns and bred, named Stokes, finished third at Riccarton Park in Canterbury last week with Ben watching. “I rang Stokesy and said, ‘I’ve got this big chestnut, this big strong thing with a pale face and dodgy legs, there’s even the slightest chance I can name him after you.’ This horse also has a big heart, so I thought it was a perfect name,” McCullum said.
What would a horse need to remind the trainer of Pope? Perhaps a jelly starter that appears inside if it stays in contact with the pack.
McCullum believes the pitches in New Zealand will suit Pope, being similar to the Oval in that they are green and lively from day one with good carry and bounce but flatten out. Fast outfields also bring rewards, but only if Pope and others can see the new ball with judicious application.
“We just have to continue to give him the confidence to go out there and know that when he steps in he can play winning innings,” McCullum said. “He is also a leader within the group. It’s been a big year for Popey. He assumed the captaincy as the skipper was unavailable for some time. We believe that over time all this experience will make him a better player. And he remains an important player for us.
“Even Ricky Ponting was sensitive in his first 20-30 balls and once he got going, he was creeping up on you. I’m not saying Ollie Pope is Ricky Ponting, but it’s not an easy place to hit and the higher you are in the order the more susceptible you are because the ball obviously does more which is a challenge . He’ll be fine. He’s a good player and he’s done good things for us and that will give him confidence. I think he will enjoy the conditions here as much as they change. But if he can do it, these pitches with extra bounce should suit his style.
If he keeps wicket, England will have to be adaptable when it comes to Pope. If they bat first, there’s no reason why it can’t stay at three, but if they come in after a long spell on the field, they’ll have to manage. Pope will say he can handle it, but England need to be reasonable, let him rest after guarding and pushing Joe Root up one place, after all he scored a career-best 262 and a career-best 454 with Harry Brook in Multan.
England play New Zealand very often – this is their fourth series here in seven years – and Pope is on his third tour, so he knows the conditions well. For most players, a hundred in the first test is a huge boost. For Pope, it will only raise the same old question: Can he keep it up?
