"I don't like him": Michael Vaughan demands Ollie Pope's sacking, names future England captain

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has made a shocking statement on the leadership of the stand-in captain Ollie Pope in the ongoing three-match Test series against Sri Lanka at home.

Ollie Pope is facing mounting criticism as doubts emerge about his suitability for the role. He has stepped up to lead the England Test team after injured Ben Stokes was ruled out of the summer season.

However, the stand-in skipper has been struggling with his form, managing only single-figure scores of 6, 6, and 1 since assuming the captaincy in the ongoing home series against Sri Lanka.

Michael Vaughan slams Ollie Pope’s performance as stand-in skipper

On the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s, Ollie Pope's performance was particularly underwhelming.

His ill-advised pull shot, which led to his dismissal for just one run, was criticized as a poor decision by a player who should have been more composed.

Michael Vaughan, who has a wealth of experience leading England in 51 Tests, has voiced his concerns about Ollie Pope’s leadership qualities.

He suggested that Pope’s current struggles are worsened by the added pressure of captaincy, which has seemingly affected his batting performance in the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka.

The former England captain argued that Ollie Pope's personality and leadership style may not align with what is needed for England’s top job, and he doesn’t really like him as the Test captain.

Instead, Michael Vaughan advocates for Harry Brook as a potential future Test captain, praising his leadership potential and suggesting that he might be a more fitting choice for guiding England.

I don't like Pope as the captain, would love to see Harry Brook in that role: Michael Vaughan

Vaughan told the Test Match Special podcast: “I don't like him as the captain. He's not the kind of personality I'd want as the England captain. He's quite an insecure human being—a great team guy and person—but throwing the captaincy on him has added the pressure. He was doing great at number three. Harry Brook, for me, is an England captain in the making. I don't see Pope as that person.”

Meanwhile, Ollie Pope, who has a career batting average of 34 across 48 Tests, has struggled significantly in his recent innings, failing to exceed 20 runs in 38% of his matches in the traditional format of the game. However, he has shown a better average of 41.5 while batting at number three.

Vaughan recommends Pope routine and nerve-calming techniques for improvement

Vaughan, who played the number three position for much of his Test career, believes that this crucial spot deserves the most composed player of the team, and at the moment, Pope is not that player.

The commentator also suggested that Pope should focus on developing strategies to manage his nerves before stepping out to bat to improve his performance and stability in this key role.

Vaughan signed off by saying, “He has looked so frantic for such a good player. I’m amazed that with all the psychologists and the backroom staff that England has, they can’t just calm him down a little bit and give him more of an opportunity. Look at Joe Root, who has the most amazing mentality.

He comes out to bat with an amazing routine: he stretches and touches his toes, gets his legs going, and sprints on. I don’t know if I look at Ollie Pope and see a routine or a process.”