"If Ollie Pope is that good, why is he not knocking the door down to bat at three?" - Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan has advocated promoting Ollie Pope in the upcoming series against New Zealand. Vaughan said on Sunday that if the 23-year-old is as 'special' a player as the audience in England believes, he should bat higher up the order.
Often touted as the 'next big thing' in English cricket, Ollie Pope has played 17 Tests for his country so far, scoring 798 runs at a healthy average of 31.92. In his last Test series - against India in February-March - he batted mostly at No. 6. The right-hander crossed double digits in seven out of his eight innings but failed to make a single half-century.
Michael Vaughan advocated that if Ollie Pope bats at No. 4 for Surrey, his county team, he should bat higher for England.
"Ollie Pope is the one we watch and think could be a very special player. My only concern is where he bats. If he is that good, why is he not knocking the door down to bat at three? Look at where he bats for Surrey: Four. I am a big believer in county cricket that if you are batting five or six for England you should be batting three for your county," Michael Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph.
Ollie Pope is currently one of the highest scorers in the County Championship, 2021. From 10 innings, he has collected 555 runs at a stunning average of 78.83 including a highest score of 245.
Some Test series might look 'mediocre' but this is a high-quality challenge for England: Michael Vaughan
Previewing the upcoming series between the Test heavyweights, Michael Vaughan said the England-New Zealand rubber might seem 'mediocre' but is a 'high-quality' challenge for Joe Root's men.
The former England captain feels that although neither team might put their best teams forward in the series, the completion within the sides along with the return of crowds will add the necessary flavor.
"There are some series in Test cricket that you look at and think might be a bit mediocre but this is a high-quality challenge for England. They are playing the no.1 team in the world, preparing for a Test championship final they want to win. There will be competition for places in the New Zealand ranks and they will all be desperate to play in the final. Crowds are back in so there should be a great atmosphere after the sterility of last summer and someone like a [James] Bracey will be making his debut not with a full house, but at least a sense of occasion at Lord’s," added Michael Vaughan.
The first Test will be played at Lord's between June 2-6 followed by the game at Birmingham between June 10-14.