Former England captain Michael Atherton has backed the decision to omit batter Ollie Pope from the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne. The 57-year-old felt that the right-hander had looked “insecure” at number three, adding that his omission from the side might make head coach Brendon McCullum think that everything was falling apart.
“Removing him from the firing line is the right call. The No3 position carries special status in Australia, because it is often where their best players have batted, as opposed to No4 in an England side, but Pope has looked too insecure in what is a vital position. After three poor Tests, his average away from home has dropped below 30, and against Australia it is a paltry 17.”
“Putting Pope at No3 was the first big call that Brendon McCullum made as head coach, and dropping him will be a painful reminder of how everything is falling apart,” Atherton wrote in ‘The Times’.
He felt that Jofra Archer’s absence from the last two Tests was a big blow for England, admitting that he had been the visitors’ best bowler in the series so far.
“Wood was always going to be a high-risk gamble, and it predictably failed to pay off, but Archer has been the pick of the bowlers and his injury is a huge blow for the final two Tests after a relatively light workload.”
“Archer is not England’s leading wicket-taker here – that accolade goes to Brydon Carse – but he has been the best bowler by some distance and the one that Australia’s batsmen have treated with most caution and respect. It was noticeable in the second innings at Adelaide that they looked to sit on Archer and wait for the others to come into the attack. His economy rate in that innings was 1.57; nobody else went under 3.5 runs per over,” Atherton wrote.
England announced their playing XI for the fourth Test on Wednesday, making two changes to the side. They brought in Gus Atkinson for Archer and Jacob Bethell for Pope to slot in at the number three position.
