Former captain Andrew Strauss lauded young Ollie Pope, saying he has been a "real find" for England. Pope, 22, made his Test debut in August 2018 and has only featured ten times internationally. Strauss, however, sees not only a long-term Test prospect in him, but also someone capable of doing well in white-ball cricket for England.
After failing to get a score in the first two Tests against the West Indies, Pope turned it around for himself via a magnificent knock of 91 in the first innings of the series-decider in Manchester.
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Previous to this series, Pope had struck two half-centuries and his career-best 135 not out in Port Elizabeth in difficult conditions in South Africa last winter.
"If you look at his first-class record, he’s averaging 57 and he’s proved that he can do it in Test cricket with that great innings he played in South Africa," Strauss told Sky Sports.
"Today was more of the same. He’s a guy who can score quickly without you really noticing it. He played some really eye-catching shots as well and he looks equally comfortable against seam and spin, so no obvious weaknesses there. He’s a real find for England, I think."
Pope's innings and that partnership with Jos Buttler (67) helped England post 369 in the first essay, before putting West Indies under great pressure with the ball. The visitors found themselves 137/6 by stumps on Day 2, still trailing by 232 runs.
Strauss said while Pope has the talent to do well in all formats, he should for now focus on his Test match game. "He’s got the game to play in ODIs, in various different positions. We know he can play all those funky ramp shots and whatever. But for the time being, I’d quite like him just doing his time in the Test team, not getting funky with his technique which is perfect."
"He can really establish himself in that England environment," he added. "It’s a different thing when you feel comfortable, when you know you are good enough to be in that environment and you get to know the players well."
"When you get to that stage, that’s when you start getting some really consistent, high-quality performances," Strauss concluded.
