Ashes 2023: Ollie Pope Likely To Miss Third Test As Brendon McCullum Provides Update On His Shoulder Injury

England head coach Brendon McCullum has hinted that Ollie Pope might miss the upcoming crucial third Ashes Test against Australia. The third game of the five-match series is scheduled to be played from Thursday (July 6) at Headingley.

Ollie Pope suffered a shoulder injury while fielding in the first innings of the second Test at Lord’s that concluded on Sunday (July 2). The right-handed batsman jarred the shoulder on the first day of the match and left the field immediately.

He did not come out to the field for the rest of Australia’s first innings. The injury only worsened in the second innings after England were told that they would not be permitted to use a substitute fielder.

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Brendon McCullum delivers an update on Ollie Pope:

After the match ended, Ollie Pope was named in England’s squad for the third Test. And ahead of the game, McCullum has said that his side will continue to monitor the batsman’s injured shoulder. McCullum did not sound too confident and there is a possibility that England might miss the services of their vice-captain.

“We will check Ollie out and work it out. I was so proud of Ollie, to do what he did. He’s a tough kid to bat number three and want to make an impact. He’s obviously our vice-captain as well and a fantastic leader in the group, albeit at a young age,” McCullum said while speaking to BBC’s Test Match Special.

“We have another couple of guys we will monitor, but we have depth in our squad – that’s why guys have had opportunities in the last 12 months. Whoever gets the nod will be confident they will perform and give us a good chance,” McCullum added.

The hosts have called up Dan Lawrence as a backup for the upcoming Test. In case Pope fails to recover in time for the crucial clash, Lawrence is likely to be drafted into the playing eleven as a like-for-like replacement. Lawrence, who bats at number four for Essex, has scored 491 runs in six games at an average of 44.63, including two centuries in County Championship Division One.

England squad for third Ashes Test:

Ben Stokes (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

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