Ashes 2023: "A Lot Of Talented Bowlers In Our Changing Room Who Have Worked Out Ways We Can Challenge Him" - Ollie Pope On Steve Smith

England vice-captain Ollie Pope revealed that the team had different strategies to keep ace Australian batter Steve Smith calm in the upcoming Ashes series in 2023. Ollie Pope admitted that Steve Smith loves to play in English conditions, given his record in England in the longer format of the game.

Steve Smith started his English season with a blistering century against India in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Oval in London. The 34-year-old batter scored 121 runs off 268 balls with the help of 19 boundaries. It was his 31st Test century and his seventh in England.

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He Loves Batting In England – Ollie Pope

Ollie Pope highlighted that England have talented bowlers who can challenge Steve Smith in the upcoming marquee event at home.

“He loves batting in England, over the years he averages over 60 here now. It’s obvious he knows these conditions and he knows his game inside out, so there’s a lot of respect for him,” said Pope.

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“But there’s also a lot of talented bowlers in our changing room who have worked out ways we can challenge him. I can’t say too much but there’s probably slightly different plans this time,” he added.

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Steve Smith Is A Highly-Skilled Batter – Ollie Pope

Ollie Pope said that English bowlers will try to make Steve Smith uncomfortable with their bowling in order to get his wicket.

“He’s got his routines – his slightly longer routines – before he faces each ball and he won’t be ready until he’s done all those routines. What’s made him successful is that stubbornness and that stubbornness for runs as well. That’s exactly the bubble we’ve got to try and get him out of,” he further added.

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“Steve Smith is a highly-skilled batter and scores a lot of runs, but I think for him we might be looking at even quirkier ways to challenge him, test him out and make him as uncomfortable as we possibly can to try and get his wicket,” he concluded.

Smith was the best batter in the Australian line-up during the last Ashes series in England, as he ended up scoring 774 runs in seven innings. However, the Australian team failed to win the series and drew the five-match series 2-2 in 2019.

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