POPE
Oliver

• 1. Career

Oliver John Douglas Pope is an English professional cricketer who plays for the England cricket team and Surrey County Cricket Club. He is a right-handed batter who occasionally plays as a wicket-keeper. He made his Test debut against India in 2018.

Career

Pope was added to England's squad for the second Test against India at Lord's, where he made his Test debut, on 9 August 2018. He made 28 in his only knock, as England won by an innings. Later that year, he was selected for England's tour of Sri Lanka. However, having played no part in England's first Test, he was released from the tour in order to join up with the England Lions for their game against Pakistan A in the UAE.

During a strong 2019 season, Pope was called up as cover for Jason Roy before the 3rd Ashes Test at Headingley. Although Roy was eventually passed fit to play, this saw Pope back in the International picture and a month later he was called up to the England Test squad to face New Zealand. In the second Test at Hamilton, Pope made 75 runs in England's only innings. Pope then toured South Africa but missed the first test due to illness. He then top scored in the first innings of the second test with 61* and then followed this up with his maiden Test century for England in the third Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth, with 135*.

On 29 May 2020, Pope was named in a 55-man group of players to begin training ahead of international fixtures starting in England following the COVID-19 pandemic. On 17 June 2020, Pope was included in England's 30-man squad to start training behind closed doors for the Test series against the West Indies. On 4 July 2020, Pope was named in England's thirteen-man squad for the first Test match of the series.

Pope played in all six Test matches of the 2020 England summer, scoring 215 runs at an average of 26.9 against Pakistan and the West Indies, including scores of 91 and 62. Due to a shoulder injury sustained during the Pakistan series, Pope was not included in the England squad for their 2021 tour of Sri Lanka, though he travelled with the tour party so that he could work on his fitness with the team's physiotherapist. He was also not originally included for England's 2021 tour of India, though again he accompanied the tour party, but was added after the England medical team were satisfied he had recovered sufficiently. Pope played in all four tests, scoring 153 runs at an average of 19.1, in England's 3–1 series defeat.

In England's 2021 series against New Zealand, Pope made 84 runs in 4 innings, with a highscore of just 23. Due to a quad injury, Pope only played in the fourth Test against India in their tour of England, making scores of 81 and 2. Pope was included in England's squad for the 2021-22 Ashes.

Pope was included in the England squad for the 2022 test series against New Zealand. In the second Test he made a score of 145, which included 13 fours and 3 sixes.

On 16 May 2023, Pope was named England's vice-captain. In June 2023, Pope broke the record for the quickest Test double hundred to be made in England, as he reached 200 in just 207 balls at Lord’s against Ireland, beating the previous best of 220 balls achieved by Ian Botham against India in 1982.

Pope suffered a dislocated shoulder in June 2023, preventing him playing for several months.

Pope is part of England's squad for the 5 match Test tour of India in 2024.