Nasser Hussain expresses concern over Ollie Pope's struggles as stand-in captain

England’s stand-in captain Ollie Pope's recent struggles at the crease have raised concerns, particularly following his latest dismissal in the ongoing second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's. Now, Nasser Hussain, the former England captain, has expressed his concerns over Pope's form with the bat in the home Test series.

Coming in early after the fall of Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope's brief 10-ball stay yielded only one run, highlighting a persistent issue with his ability to settle into an innings confidently. After the early dismissal of opener Lawrence, Ollie Pope was thrust into action in the seventh over for England.

Nasser Hussain expresses concern over Ollie Pope's batting woes in Sri Lanka Test series

However, his time at the crease was overwhelming, as his struggle with the bat continues in the ongoing three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Facing a challenging delivery from Lahiru Kumara that sharply swung in, Ollie Pope barely managed to avoid chopping onto his stumps.

His cautious approach continued, with a near-miss as he attempted an extensive drive that could have easily resulted in an edge. However, this time he could not save his wicket, as his innings came to a disappointing end when he attempted to pull a delivery from Asitha Fernando, only to top-edge it straight into the hands of Sri Lankan skipper Dhananjaya de Silva.

His 10-ball stay followed by 12 runs in the first Test highlighted his ongoing struggle to find form and composure in his new role as a stand-in captain. Observing Ollie Pope's performance, Hussain has expressed concern over the young batter's approach.

There’s still a bit of bluff from Pope: Nasser Hussain

He believes that Pope is still trying to find his identity at the crease. Unlike confident batters who naturally command the game, Pope appears hesitant and uncertain, which hindered his ability to build Test innings, according to Hussain.

Nasser Hussain wrote in his column for the Daily Mail: “At the moment, there’s still a bit of bluff from Pope when it comes to batting, and I don't mean that in a negative way. Someone like Kevin Pietersen had natural strut and swagger and wanted to put bowlers under pressure, but Pope is not really like that.”

Nasser Hussain compares Ollie Pope's struggles to the emerging Ian Bell

Even the former England captain compared Pope’s journey to the early career of Ian Bell, who initially lacked the self-assurance required to dominate at the international level.

However, Bell eventually found his footing and became a mainstay in England's middle order, but the cricket pandit Hussain has pointed out that Pope's recent performances suggested that he is still on that journey.

Hussain added, “He’s more like the emerging Ian Bell before he and Pietersen formed that middle-order bond—a nervy, fidgety figure at the crease. Someone lacking the belief someone with his ability should possess. Pope is still in that stage of trying to convince everyone with the projection of his personality.

Look at his first-class record; it's utterly brilliant, but his fidgety starts are an issue. Pope’s issue is that he is a poor starter. I don't recall Joe Root looking frenetic at the beginning of an innings, even when he was captain, and he was often coming in at 20 for two.”