England’s stand-in Test captain has a weakened team under him for the first Test against Sri Lanka
If training has been anything to go by this week then Ollie Pope has already shown himself to be a shrewd England captain. Dan Lawrence has been performing drills for short-leg, suggesting the newbie in the lineup will be stationed in Pope’s usual spot against Sri Lanka.
Essex apparently offered danger money to players plonked at boot hill in the 1980s but the best batter of the county’s current crop – albeit a Surrey strutter these days – will be on the same match fee as his teammates.
