England batsman Ollie Pope managed simply 125 runs at a mean of 20.83 through the 2025/26 Ashes collection in Australia. Picture: AFP
LONDON:
Ollie Pope believes the thought England “weren’t fussed” throughout their woeful Ashes tour of Australia was unfair on the squad however understands why the “misperception” turned lodged within the minds of many followers and pundits.
Ben Stokes’ vacationers went right down to a 4-1 collection loss to Australia over 5 Checks in 2025/26, with the troubled marketing campaign nonetheless the topic of an England and Wales Cricket Board evaluation.
Along with their poor on-field efficiency, considerations in regards to the tradition of the England squad emerged throughout a break in Noosa, an Australian resort, the place there have been stories of extreme ingesting by gamers.
This was adopted by revelations that vice-captain Harry Brook had had an altercation with a nightclub bouncer on the pre-Ashes go to to New Zealand.
Pope, nonetheless, insists England’s had been totally centered on regaining the Ashes and may need been extra profitable had they cemented an encouraging begin to the primary Check in Perth.
“Going into that collection, there was quite a bit spoken in regards to the preparation of it,” Pope advised reporters on Tuesday. “As a group, the misperception may be that we weren’t as fussed because it got here throughout.”
The 28-year-old, talking at county facet Surrey’s media day, added: “The robust factor for everybody in that first recreation (Check) was the character of it. Had we received that, and we might performed barely higher on day two, the thought is totally different.
“After all we wish to be a popular group, on and off the pitch, and sadly our efficiency did not enable that to occur in Australia.
‘Take the strain off’
“I can perceive why folks felt that approach, however on the similar time the notion that we weren’t fussed was in all probability the exhausting factor. All we wished to do was go and win the Ashes…All anybody wished to do was to win.
“And for us at instances it was simply making an attempt to, in our minds, take the strain off the precise Check match.”
Even earlier than the journey began, questions had been raised a few lack of preparation in Australian circumstances, which consisted of a three-day match towards the second-string England Lions at Lilac Hill in Perth.
“As we have performed over the earlier years, we tried to deal with it like a standard collection to get the perfect out of ourselves,” mentioned Pope. “Sadly, it did not fairly go to plan.”
He added: “I do know what I have to be as prepared as I might be. From a private level, I felt as prepared as I might have been for that first Check.”
Pope was dropped after the third Check after averaging solely 20.83 runs throughout the primary three video games, with alternative Jacob Bethell occurring to attain a century within the fifth Check at Sydney.
However Pope insisted he was decided to regain his England place, saying: “I nonetheless really feel like my finest batting years are to come back.”
The Surrey batsman was talking after the England and Wales Cricket Board went again on a plan to cease its Ashes gamers chatting with the media forward of the brand new county season whereas it conducts its evaluation.
