Former England captain Michael Vaughan has made a shocking statement regarding stand-in captain Ollie Pope’s leadership in the ongoing three-match Test series against Sri Lanka at home.

Ollie Pope is facing increasing criticism as questions are raised over his suitability for the role. He has stepped up to lead England’s Test squad after the injured Ben Stokes was ruled out of the summer season.

However, the stand-in captain has struggled with his form, managing only single-figure scores of 6, 6 and 1 since taking over the captaincy in the ongoing home series against Sri Lanka.

Michael Vaughan criticises Ollie Pope’s performance as stand-in captain

On the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s, Ollie Pope’s performance was particularly disappointing.

His ill-advised throw, which led to his ejection for just one run, was criticized as a bad decision by a player who should have been more composed.

Michael Vaughan, who has vast experience of leading England in 51 Tests, has expressed his concerns about Ollie Pope’s leadership qualities.

He suggested that Pope’s current problems are compounded by the added pressure of captaincy, which has apparently affected his batting performance in the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka.

The former England captain has argued that Ollie Pope’s personality and leadership style may not be in line with what is needed for the top job at England, and he doesn’t really like him as a Test captain.

Michael Vaughan, on the other hand, is championing Harry Brook as a potential future Test captain, praising his leadership potential and suggesting he might be a more suitable choice to guide England.

I don’t like Pope as captain, I would love to see Harry Brook in that role: Michael Vaughan

Vaughan told the Test Match Special podcast: “I don’t like him as a captain. He’s not the kind of personality I would want as England captain. He’s quite an insecure human being, a great team player and a great person, but putting the captaincy on his shoulders has added pressure. He was playing very well as a number three. Harry Brook, for me, is an England captain in the making. I don’t see Pope as that person.”

Meanwhile, Ollie Pope, who has a batting average of 34 in 48 Test matches, has struggled significantly in his recent innings, failing to go beyond 20 runs in 38% of his matches in the traditional format of the game. However, he has posted a better average of 41.5 while batting at number three.

Vaughan recommends Pope’s routine and nerve-calming techniques to improve

Vaughan, who played in the number three position for much of his Test career, believes this crucial spot deserves the most composed player in the team and, right now, Pope is not that player.

The commentator also suggested that Pope should focus on developing strategies to control his nerves before going up to bat to improve his performance and stability in this key role.

Vaughan concluded by saying: “He’s looked so frenetic for such a good player. I’m surprised that with all the psychologists and support staff England have, they can’t just calm him down a bit and give him more opportunities. Look at Joe Root, he’s got the most incredible mentality.

He comes out to bat with an incredible routine: he stretches and touches his toes, he moves his legs and he runs. I don’t know if I look at Ollie Pope and see a routine or a process.”