Pope keen to learn from Stokes in bid to be a future England captain – and he’s ready for Ashes SOS

Ollie Pope has been keeping a close eye on the leadership skills of Ben Stokes during his Test revolution in case he gets the call to captain England during the Ashes.

The man who has unofficially been designated as England’s next captain wants to learn as much as he can from Stokes transformative leadership so he is ready to answer any emergency call during the biggest series in Test cricket this summer.

Stokes is very much in charge of an England side that has won 10 of 12 matches since he came together with Brendon McCullum to rescue Test cricket but has a chronic left knee problem and faces a demanding spell of five Ashes Tests in six weeks in June and July.

‘Ever since I did my first bit of captaincy I’ve been watching Stokesey a little bit closer to see what he does with the bowlers, in the field and how he talks to them,’ said the Surrey batsman who has been given England captaincy experience during warm-up games over the last year. ‘Why not? It’s only going to improve my cricket brain.

‘It’s not a conversation that’s been had (him taking over should Stokes miss out on any Ashes Tests) and touch wood everything will remain good with Ben’s knee but if it does come about I’d feel confident about taking over. I feel my cricket brain’s good enough for me to do the job but whether they would choose me to do it in a Test I’ve no idea.’

Surrey batter Ollie Pope (above) is keen to cement his status as a future England captain

Pope has been keeping a close eye on the leadership skills of England captain Ben Stokes

Whether that call comes this summer or not, Pope wants to cement his status as a future England captain having been given a taste of the job when Stokes has rested his knee in the practice games ahead of their series in Pakistan and New Zealand.

‘It’s always been a dream,’ he said of becoming England captain. ‘I guess before last summer it was just about nailing my place down and that’s what I’ve got to continue doing. But I feel I read the game well and if I keep watching how the guys at the top operate that is only going to help me.

‘There’s only one Ben Stokes and even if he does get injured no-one is going to truly replicate what he does but it would be a case of taking the ideas he has implemented into the team. You would have to do it your own way but continue with his message.’

Pope has finally come close to fulfilling his enormous potential in an England shirt since Stokes and McCullum put faith in him to fill the problem No 3 spot at the start of last summer but he knows there is much still to do before he is a permanent fixture.

In particular the gifted Pope needs to improve his output in the second innings of Tests, with his frenetic contribution to England’s last day collapse on the final day of the second Test in Wellington being overshadowed by New Zealand’s thrilling one-run victory.

‘I personally didn’t play well at all that day,’ Pope admitted. ‘I felt pretty average with the bat. But it was the first chase we haven’t pulled off in this era and it’s probably a good thing to happen in a way because we will know what we have to do next time.’