England batter Ollie Pope hopeful of test recall after Ashes axe

March 19, 2026 11:13 AM

England batter Ollie Pope hopeful of test recall after Ashes axe

England batter Ollie Pope said he remains hopeful of returning to the national test side after accepting that his omission following a poor Ashes series was the right call. Pope was dropped after managing just 125 runs in six innings during England's 4-1 Ashes defeat to Australia in January, with Jacob Bethell replacing him at number three for the last two tests. "I guess I knew where I stood," Pope said. "Getting dropped is tough. I didn't want to get dropped of course, but it was the right ...

ENG vs IND, 3rd Test: Pope has his “fingers crossed” as Stokes battles injury at Lord’s

July 11, 2025 2:54 PM

ENG vs IND, 3rd Test: Pope has his “fingers crossed” as Stokes battles injury at Lord’s

England captain Ben Stokes was seen limping with a possible groin injury during Day 1 of the third Test at Lord’s on Thursday, raising concerns ahead of a crucial phase in the series against India. Vice-captain Ollie Pope said he had his “fingers crossed” that Stokes would recover in time, with the series locked at 1-1. “Fingers crossed he can pull something magical off and come back strong. We’ve got a big Test over the next four days, and two more after this, so it’s important to...