Former England captain Michael Vaughan has some harsh words for his country’s cricket team. Michael Vaughan openly warns Stokes and Co. about letting Ollie Pope captain during the Ashes series. He thinks Pope isn’t good enough to lead England against Australia.
Vaughan watched Pope captain England in the final Test against India recently. England lost that match by just six runs, which really hurt their chances. Pope made some decisions that Vaughan didn’t like at all during that game.
The former England captain thinks Pope works fine as a vice-captain only. But leading the whole team in pressure matches is completely different for him.
Pope Struggles Under Pressure
Ollie Pope captained England when Ben Stokes couldn’t play due to his injury problems. Pope tried his best but couldn’t control the team properly on the field. Vaughan noticed Pope looked confused and nervous during important moments of the match.
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England had a great chance to win that Test match against India. But Pope’s captaincy decisions helped India escape with a narrow victory instead. Vaughan thinks a stronger captain would have won that game for England.
“We don’t laud how good some vice-captains are. Trescothick was the best vice-captain. I think Ollie Pope is a brilliant vice-captain. But he’s not a captain. And by giving him the captaincy, I can see it a mile off. He’s not a natural leader out in the middle,” Vaughan said.
Michael Vaughan openly warns Stokes and Co. because Pope might captain again soon. If Stokes gets injured during the Ashes series, Pope could become captain automatically. This worries Vaughan a lot because Australia is a tough team to beat.
Harry Brook Should Lead Instead
Vaughan wants Harry Brook to captain England instead of Pope during the big series. He believes Brook has natural leadership skills that Pope lacks completely right now. Brook is younger but seems more confident when making important decisions on the field.
“Anything could happen with Ben. Fingers crossed he’s fine, but just say you go to Perth and Ben can’t play. I can’t have Ollie Pope walk in as skipper. But I can have Harry Brook because I see a natural leader,” he added.
Stokes might not be fit for the whole Ashes series due to injuries. His body has taken lots of punishment over the years playing cricket professionally. England needs backup captains who can handle Australia’s aggressive style of play.
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Michael Vaughan openly warns Stokes and Co. because choosing the wrong captain could cost England. The Ashes series is the biggest Test series for English cricket fans. Vaughan wants England to pick their strongest possible leader for those crucial matches.
