The Ashes 2025-26: Ollie Pope’s familiar failure leaves him with one innings to save England place
There is a world in which we have not reached this point.
Pope dislocated his shoulder by diving onto the field during the 2023 Ashes at Lord’s, which saved him from a further three Tests against Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and others.
Had he failed there three more times, Hyderabad might not have been possible.
But Britain, which recalled him and has held him ever since, must also bear some of the blame for the Pope’s struggles.
They have been flirting throughout 2025 with a bid for 21-year-old Jacob Bethell, who finished third on last year’s tour of New Zealand.
Stokes said his comments were twisted to suit an “agenda” when the controversy came to a head during the first Test against Zimbabwe in May.
However, any speculation that England would replace the Pope with Bethell was not made alone.
In September, chief executive Rob Key left the door open for a change. England has talked time and time again about its shiny new things.
The result was a situation that did not suit either of them.
Bethell has barely played all summer, meaning if he does get into the fourth Test in Melbourne he will do so in more than a year of batting in a red-ball first XI for county or country, while Pope has moved on, lacking the security that brought success in the early months of his tenure.
Don’t forget that he was also stripped of his vice-captaincy on Ashes eve.
There is a possibility that both Pope and Bethell could play next week if England can put the poor run of goalkeeper Jamie Smith out of the spotlight.
Playing as a wicketkeeper, Pope averaged 45.60 with the bat in six tests, the best average for an England wicketkeeper in 132 years.
“I’m not saying I’ll go that way but it’s an option; Ollie down and move on,” says former England captain Michael Vaughan.
“He’s done at number three. Ollie had a lot of chances but I don’t think it worked at number three.”
But after 64 Tests and 34 at third place, Pope is more likely to have an innings to salvage that valuable position.
