‘It’s about having the two things separate’

Pope, in the first of three matches deputising for the injured Ben Stokes, led England to a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka at Old Trafford last week as they went 1-0 up

Ollie Pope has asked Joe Root for guidance on how best to balance the demands of batting and captaincy after an awkward first outing as stand-in England skipper against Sri Lanka. 

Pope, in the first of three matches deputising for the injured Ben Stokes, led England to a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka at Old Trafford last week as they went 1-0 up. Nevertheless, No. 3 batsman Pope was himself twice out for six. While Stokes may be absent, the England team still features star batsman Root, who led England in a record 64 Tests from 2017-2022. 

As England head into the second Test at Lord’s starting Thursday, Pope has turned to Root for advice. “The runs didn’t translate for me, but hopefully, over the next two weeks, I can put aside my captaining when it’s time to bat. It’s about having the two things separate. That’s something I’ve spoken to Joe Root about. We just spoke about how it’s more taxing in the field but it’s finding a little routine and doing small things,” Pope told a pre-match press conference on Wednesday.

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