Nasser Hussain has joined the race to back stand-in captaincy for Ollie Pope of England. With regular captain Ben Stokes succumbing to an injury, Ollie Pope will lead the charge in the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. Hussain feels this temporary captainship will be a good experience, especially when the Ashes series against Australia will happen next year.
The Importance of Experience
In essence, Hussain opined that any leader needs experience. Given that he is going to lead for three Tests, Pope will get vital experience, which will come in good stead if Stokes is out of action at some point. Likening it to preparing a bowling attack for as big an event as the Ashes, Hussain said that experienced leaders are needed by England no less.
According to Hussain, there’s no greater test of cricket than the Ashes series in Australia, and that risks taking an unprepared leadership group. He added that Pope’s temporary captaincy was of great significance because it saved England from being left in an utterly difficult position if Stokes did not play in Australia. He gets all the experience he can gain now, which shall stand him in good stead in overcoming the pressure that comes his way, particularly in an Ashes series such as this one.
Ollie Pope’s Temporary Captaincy and Its Problems
Both Hussain and former England skipper Michael Atherton know the challenges that Pope may face. Atherton comments that it is not easy being Stokes’ stand-in man. Pope is virtually playing the stand-in captain, whose team still has Stokes’ strong presence. From both sides, this could make things very sticky for Pope to stamp his authority on the leadership without being too pushy on an already established team culture.
Hussain points out that Pope is still learning his leadership traits. For Stokes, cricketing intelligence was instinctive, but for Pope, he has to consciously learn those. The vice-captaincy and his batting position were tailor-made to enhance his confidence, and now it is time for Pope to express that belief and confidence to the team as well. One of the major challenges that Pope is going to face will be communicating his vision and strategies to the team.
Conclusion
Nasser Hussain’s support for Ollie Pope’s temporary captaincy underlines the importance of experience in leadership roles. Although being named captain in place of a player of Ben Stokes’ class certainly puts Pope under some pressure, this will definitely help the former grow as a leader.
As England looks forward to the Ashes and beyond, Pope’s performance in this role will come with high expectations. How he manages to bear the responsibilities of captaincy and captain well will tell if England is to see success in the upcoming series.
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