"Ollie Pope is happiest walking his dog in the countryside.."- Stuart Broad

Former England pacer Stuart Broad lauded Ollie Pope for his outstanding century against India in the ongoing first Test match in Hyderabad. Stuart Broad described Ollie Pope as a “gritty character”, emphasizing the England vice captain’s commitment to the game.

Ollie Pope displayed batting prowess in the second innings, providing a glimmer of hope for his team’s comeback. The right-handed batter remained unbeaten on 148 runs at stumps on Day 3. He helped his team finish the third day of play with a crucial 126-run lead.

He’s Really A Gritty Character – Stuart Broad

In his Daily Mail column, Stuart Broad recalled Ollie Pope‘s gritty nature, highlighting his return to the field during last summer’s Ashes even after dislocating his shoulder.

“He’s a really gritty character. Within the dressing room, he is not one of the extroverts. He’s just a nice guy, who is probably happiest walking his dog in the countryside, but he is also tough – recall him going back out to field in last summer’s Ashes despite dislocating his shoulder,” Broad stated.

During last year’s Ashes series, Ollie Pope sustained an injury while fielding on Day 1 of the second Test match against Australia. Despite the setback, the 26-year-old batter displayed resilience by batting in both innings, contributing a total of 45 runs to the match.

Ollie Pope Is A High Quality, Technical Player – Stuart Broad

Stuart Broad highlighted Ollie Pope’s batting as a unique combination of high quality and technical prowess, emphasizing his rare blend of being both a scrapper and a battler during his iconic innings.

“He’s a high quality, technical player but he’s also a scrapper and a battler, and those things don’t always come hand in hand. On Saturday we saw those characteristics come out for what could go down as an iconic innings,” Broad added.

“He does the less glamorous stuff so well too, nicking singles to mid-on and dancing across his stumps to push the ball through the gap at midwicket. Because the bowlers are exceptional in Test match cricket, it leads to batters facing tricky little periods but when it gets tough for him, he finds a way to get himself out of it.”

Pope scored his second Test century in subcontinent conditions and his fifth overall. He played a pivotal role in helping England overturn a 190-run first innings deficit. He added crucial partnerships with Ben Foakes and Rehan Ahmed before the stumps on Day 3.

Stokes And McCullum Deserve A Huge Amount Of Credit – Stuart Broad

Stuart Broad highlighted that Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s leadership has been instrumental in unleashing Ollie Pope’s true capabilities.

“He is also someone that performs well in the knowledge that he is being backed and for that Stokes and McCullum deserve a huge amount of credit,” Broad further stated.

Stuart Broad announced his retirement after the five-match series against Australia last year. The right-arm pacer is the second-highest wicket-taker for England in red-ball cricket, ending his career with 604 wickets in 167 matches.

Also read: Michael Vaughan praises Ollie Pope’s ‘Great Test hundred’ and takes a dig at Wasim Jaffer