England batsman Ollie Pope has been ruled out of the 2023 Men’s Ashes series after he sustained a dislocated shoulder in the second Test match at Lord’s. The right-hander had suffered an injury prior to the third innings of the match, but still played in Australia’s second innings, after there was some confusion regarding the rules with respect to a substitute fielder taking his place.
If reports are to be believed, Pope was not allowed a substitute in his place and was forced to take the field, which is believed to have aggravated his injury. England coach Brendon McCullum spoke to the press following the game and said that Pope’s condition would be evaluated after the match, and a call would be taken as to his continued participation in the Ashes.
“We will check Ollie out and work it out. I was so proud of Ollie, to do what he did. He’s a tough kid to bat number three and want to make an impact. He’s obviously our vice-captain as well and a fantastic leader in the group, albeit at a young age,”
England head coach Brendon McCullum said while speaking to the press.
News has since come out that Pope’s injury is worse than initially thought, and that he could take no further part in the series. The England Cricket Board released a statement where they announced the extent of the injury, and made it clear that the batter would be ruled out for an extended period.
Dan Lawrence has been named as Pope’s replacement. McCullum expressed confidence in the other players to do well when given the chance.
“We have another couple of guys we will monitor, but we have depth in our squad – that’s why guys have had opportunities in the last 12 months. Whoever gets the nod will be confident they will perform and give us a good chance,”
McCullum added.
