Ben Stokes has been an integral presence at England’s training sessions at Emirates Old Trafford, and his continued involvement with the squad for the ongoing three-match Test series against Sri Lanka is a significant boost for the team, according to stand-in captain Ollie Pope.
Notably, Ben Stokes, England’s dynamic all-rounder and Test captain, was ruled out of the ongoing three-match Test series against Sri Lanka at home and the remaining summer fixtures due to the hamstring injury. However, he will remain with the England cricket team for the home Tests against Sri Lanka.
Ollie Pope hails Ben Stokes’ influence as England faces Sri Lanka without their captain
Being with the Test squad throughout the Sri Lanka series, Ben Stokes is aiming to ensure that the team continues to operate under the principles and strategies he has instilled. Well, Pope is well aware of the significant role Stokes plays, saying even though he is captaining the England team in the field, the team is still very much guided by Stokes’s vision and approach.
Ollie Pope is determined to maintain the continuity of mindset, leadership, and strategy shaped by Ben Stokes. However, England’s stand-in captain will bring his own style and decisions to the table, but at the same time, he knows that the core of the team’s game plan remains rooted in Stokes’s philosophy.
He further noted that Ben Stokes’ presence in the dressing room offers a sense of continuity, saying how valuable it is to have the star all-rounder available for advice and guidance, as he has led the side only once in his career. Ollie Pope also lauded the regular skipper for the way he has managed the bowlers while vowing to deliver “the same messages from a different voice.”
It’s still Ben Stokes’ team, but he will let me do my things: Pope
Ollie Pope said at the press conference: “It’s still Stokesy’s team. Everyone’s pretty clear how they want to go about this week, and this series in general. I think having Stokesy in the changing-room is great. If I want to lean on him, I can lean on him, and I think he’s going to let me do my own thing for the course of this Test series as well. I know how well he’s managed our bowlers especially, and I’ve picked his brains a little bit on that.
It’s a lot of the same messages from a different voice, and in my own way… He’s going to let me go and do my thing over the course of this series. I think I read the game fairly well and Stokesy and I have often been of the same mindset. As the series goes on, it will let itself out for me. It is still Stokesy’s team. Everyone is pretty clear how they want to go about this week and the series in general.”
Speaking about the first Test in Manchester, Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first against England. However, things didn’t go according to Sri Lanka’s plans, as they lost three wickets for just six runs. At the moment, Sri Lanka’s score reads 64/4 in 20 overs against England in Manchester.
