OLLIE POPE is happy to embrace his latest role as a senior England player and captain-in-waiting behind Ben Stokes.
The 25-year-old has made steady progress under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, first as the team's No.3 batter, and now as a player with clear leadership qualities.
It is why he was asked to lead the side against the England Lions in November ahead of the Pakistan series, and why he has just done the same in the sole warm-up game in New Zealand, which Stokes sat out.
With 33 Tests under his belt already, Pope (above) is developing the experience needed to step into the role whenever the time may come.
This story is from the February 11, 2023 edition of Daily Mirror UK.
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This story is from the February 11, 2023 edition of Daily Mirror UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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