Captain Pope looking to 'reward' England with runs

Stand-in skipper Ollie Pope wants to "reward" his England broadside by scoring runs successful nan 2nd Test against Sri Lanka astatine Lord's.

Leading England successful spot of nan injured Ben Stokes, Pope won his first lucifer successful charge, nan bid opener astatine Old Trafford past week.

But nan 26-year-old, batting astatine number three, managed scores of only six successful some innings successful Manchester.

"I learned really I tin person my batting and captaincy separate," Pope told BBC Sport. "For me, it is astir arsenic soon arsenic we get disconnected nan pitch, drafting a statement nether that and past attraction connected batting."

Pope has been vice-captain to Stokes for almost 2 years and will beryllium successful complaint for nan full bid against Sri Lanka aft nan all-rounder was ruled retired pinch a hamstring injury.

Though portion of nan guidance squad and intelligibly pinch his spot successful nan broadside not nether immoderate contiguous threat, location is still an statement that Pope's spot successful nan England broadside is nan slightest unafraid of nan regular apical six.

"The runs didn't travel for maine but for nan squad to get nan win, that's nan astir important thing," he added.

"Hopefully complete nan adjacent mates of weeks, I tin put immoderate bully scores together and reward nan squad pinch immoderate runs."

And Pope, who averages 34.64 from his 47 Tests, has sought nan proposal of Joe Root connected combining nan copy roles of captaincy and batting.

Root, 33, led England successful a grounds 64 Tests earlier he was replaced by Stokes successful 2022. He averaged 46.44 pinch nan bat arsenic skipper, going done an unthinkable spot of shape towards nan extremity of his tenure, moreover though his team's results were deteriorating.

"It's thing massive, but it's astir uncovering a measurement to get into your aged regular of really you spell retired and bat," said Pope.

"It's conscionable making judge that I support doing what has brought occurrence complete nan past mates of years and having that connected repeat. It's conscionable uncovering a measurement to compartmentalise.

"Chatting to Rooty, he's evidently sewage a awesome cricket encephalon and is England's champion batter truthful we conscionable bounce a fewer ideas disconnected each other."

England's Test broadside has undergone important upheaval complete nan past year. With injuries to Stokes, opener Zak Crawley and gait bowler Mark Wood, only 4 of nan broadside that played successful nan last Ashes Test against Australia will statement up astatine Lord's connected Thursday.

The latest alteration is simply a callback for Olly Stone to play his first Test successful much than years successful spot of Wood, who has been ruled retired of nan remainder of nan bid pinch a hamstring injury.

Stone, 30, has been dogged by injuries since he made his Test debut successful 2019. This will beryllium only his 4th headdress successful 5 years, each against different opponents.

Overall, nan Nottinghamshire man has had 4 accent fractures successful his back, starring him to a career-saving cognition to insert 2 screws successful his spine. On Tuesday he revealed nan domiciled pilates has played successful his return to afloat fitness.

While not possessing nan lightning gait of Wood, Stone is still tin of bowling astatine 90mph.

"He's emotion really bully astir his assemblage and his bowling," said Pope. "He's specified an breathtaking bowler, personification who has really impressed erstwhile he's pulled nan Test garment connected earlier truthful hopefully he tin really excel now.

"He's going to emotion each spot of being retired present this week, being backmost playing Test cricket. beryllium fresh to spell and very excited."