“He needs to have an honest conversation with Marcus Trescothick” – Nasser Hussain on Ollie Pope’s struggles

Former England captain Nasser Hussain reckons Ollie Pope needs to have an honest conversation with batting coach Marcus Trescothick. Pope was dismissed after scoring six runs when he was bowled by Asitha Fernando with a ball coming in.

It was a ball trimmer from Fernando, who got the ball to seam back in to hit the top of off-stump. Pope has scored 2696 runs in 47 Test matches at an average of 35.01 but he has struggled in the recent past, especially at the start of his innings.

“I did a piece on Sky showing how 48 percent of Pope’s dismissals have been either LBW or bowled to pace. He looks rushed and off balance. I think his triggers are slightly late and he’s getting trapped on the crease because of it,” Hussain wrote for Daily Mail.

“Now he can look at it and say they’re very good deliveries because they are or he could look at it and say that’s why I’m averaging 35 and I need to improve. I think he needs to have an honest conversation with Marcus Trescothick and see what could be done about it.”

Hussain admitted if he was the next batter after Pope, he would be a bit fidgety and nervous but it would be opposite if he has to bat after Harry Brook, who scored a fine knock of 56 runs off 73 balls.

“If I was the next batter in after Pope, I’d be a little bit fidgety and nervy but if I’m after Brook, I’d be a lot more comfortable. With Brook, I’ve never looked at him and thought ‘Crikey, he looks worried at the crease.’ He’s got such good hand eye coordination and just loves batting. You saw the disappointment on his face when he got that jaffa from Prabath Jayasuriya when he was on 56.”

At stumps on Day 2, England were 259-6, leading by 23 runs after Sri Lanka posted 236 runs in the first innings.