Captaincy puts Pope in a 'slightly awkward position': Atherton

With Ben Stokes out of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, his deputy, Ollie Pope, will take charge for the first time. Stokes and Brendon McCullum have changed the way Test cricket is played since the duo came together, and Pope will have an uphill task continuing that. 

Former England captain Michael Atherton believes that Pope, who is essentially in a "caretake position," will find it awkward when he takes certain calls.

“Essentially, you’re in a caretaker position. And Ben Stokes has left such a permanent mark on the side, Ollie Pope wouldn’t want to change that," Atherton said in the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast. 

“While you are captain and you make decisions, it’s someone else’s team. It’s a slightly awkward position for him.”

Nasser Hussain, on the other hand, believes that handing Pope the responsibility is the right call, which further indicates the amount of trust the management has in him. “The feeling with Pope is that it doesn’t come naturally, [whereas] the feeling with Stokes is that cricketing intelligence comes very naturally to him," Hussain said. 

"It feels like he [Pope] was given the vice-captaincy to get him out of that shell, the No. 3 position as well, we believe in you, which I think was the right thing to do."

Hussain further adds that Pope leading could be good in case Stokes misses out again in the future, especially in places like Australia, where England have not had much success of late. “I think it’s good for Pope to be captain for three Tests, just in case Ben Stokes does get injured in the future,” Hussain said. 

“They need other options. Just like when they go to Australia, and they don’t want a bowling attack that’s inexperienced. You don’t want to get there with someone [leading] who hasn’t done it before.”

England will also be without their opening batter, Zak Crawley, for the Sri Lanka series, but Stokes has made it clear that he will be back when fully fit. Atherton feels they might have someone like Dan Lawrence open the innings even though he is not a specialist opener.

“Old-timers like me talk about opening being a specialist position. But they aren’t interested in that, they want a middle-order dasher like Dan Lawrence in that position," Atherton said.

“And if you said to Dan Lawrence, would you wait on the sidelines or have a crack [at] opening. Then definitely, he’s gonna try and grab that opportunity with both hands.”

The first of three Tests between England and Sri Lanka will get underway from August 21 at Old Trafford. 

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