Geoffrey Boycott criticised Ollie Pope after England slipped 3-0 down in the Ashes, questioning his consistency following repeated failures in Australia.
Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott criticised Ollie Pope following England’s loss in the third Ashes Test at Adelaide. With England trailing 3-0 after an 82-run loss, Boycott said patience with underperforming players has run out. He argued that Test cricket in Australia exposes technical flaws and poor decisions quickly.
Pope entered the tour under pressure after losing the vice-captaincy to Harry Brook. His returns have remained modest across the series. Pope scored 125 runs in six innings at an average of 20.83.
“Ollie Pope is a lost cause because he never learns. I think he would give his wicket away if he were playing in a county second XI. He can’t help himself as he finds ways to get out that I couldn’t dream up. Somewhere in his head, there is a self-destruction button,” Hindustan Times quoted Boycott as saying.
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Notably, Pope has played 64 Tests, scoring 3,732 runs at an average of 34.55, with nine hundreds and 16 fifties. His record against Australia remains poor, with 282 runs from 16 innings at 17.62.
Boycott believes the numbers raise serious questions about Pope’s long-term role at number three. He pointed to repeated risky decisions in situations that demand patience. He concluded by pointing out that England must now decide whether to persist or make a bold call.
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