Now Reading: Ollie Pope recalls jeers from England fans during India Test
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Ollie Pope recalls jeers from England fans during India Test
England batter Ollie Pope has recalled being jeered by his own supporters during the first Test against India at Headingley in 2025. He said fans shouted, “enjoy your last Test mate”, while…
The Story in Brief
England batter Ollie Pope has recalled being jeered by his own supporters during the first Test against India at Headingley in 2025. He said fans shouted, “enjoy your last Test mate”, while he was struggling for form. Pope told The Telegraph that the criticism left him feeling unpopular and did not help his batting.
Pope, 28, was dropped after England’s 4-1 Ashes defeat and lost his No. 3 spot to Jacob Bethell. Bethell’s injury has earned Pope a return to England’s squad for the upcoming three-Test series against Pakistan. Pope has scored 3,732 runs in 64 Tests at an average of 34.55, including nine centuries.
The Indian Opinion
The easy story is that harsh fans alone pushed Pope out of England’s team. That is too neat. His numbers show a long Test career, but an average of 34.55 also explains why selectors considered a change. Equally, jeering a player during a match is poor support, not useful scrutiny. Pope’s response with the bat in Pakistan will offer a fairer verdict than either the abuse or the sympathy.
Sources (2): sports.ndtv.com, sports.ndtv.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
