“Biggest challenge for Pope is managing without Stokes in his team” – Michael Vaughan ahead of ENG vs SL Test series

Former England captain Michael Vaughan reckons the biggest challenge for Ollie Pope will be managing the team without Ben Stokes. England’s full-time Test captain has been ruled out of the whole English summer after suffering a hamstring tear in the Hundred for Northern Superchargers on Sunday.

Pope will lead England in the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Vaughan reckons Pope has a massive challenge ahead of him however he backed the youngster to lead from the front.

Stokes’ injury is a massive blow for England but Pope will aim to get the best out of his players.

Michael Vaughan wrote for the Telegraph, “The biggest challenge for Pope is managing without Stokes in his team. The XI is immediately 25 per cent worse than the one Stokes usually has. They will have an early decision to make on whether they go in with a four-man attack, including a spinner, because the seamers are all a bit fragile, either towards the end or at the start of their careers.”

Vaughan reckons in Stokes’ absence, the role of head coach Brendon McCullum and senior players like Joe Root will be crucial for Pope.

“Besides, there is no question that this is still Stokes’s team. Pope is just stepping in for a few games. Brendon McCullum might have to step up and be a bit more hands on as head coach to help Pope out, but he has lots of senior players around him like Root.”

Vaughan further added that Pope didn’t strike him as a leader in the earlier stages of his career. 

“In Stokes’s absence, Ollie Pope will step up. I’ll admit Pope did not immediately strike me as a captain. He’s always seemed a terrific guy, a really good man to have in your dressing room. There’s always been a bit of insecurity about his batting, with those skittish starts, and he can sometimes look like he’s got too many preconceived ideas about how he wants to play a situation.”

The opening Test match between England and Sri Lanka will be played at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester from August 21 onwards.