Ashish Ranjan
On Tuesday, July 4, England’s vice-captain Ollie Pope was ruled ineligible for the remainder of the Ashes 2023. During the second Test at Lord’s, England’s star batter, Pope, dislocated his shoulder but continued to play despite the agony.
The England team management included him in the selection despite his uncertain availability for the third Test. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old will be sidelined for several weeks.
Notably, the cricketer will undergo surgery in the coming days, as scans have confirmed that his shoulder is dislocated. In the meantime, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has verified the news and stated that his replacement will not be called up for the third Test at Headingley.
“England and Surrey batsman Ollie Pope has been ruled out for the remainder of the LV= Insurance Men’s Ashes Series after dislocating his right shoulder in last week’s second Ashes Test at Lord’s. On Monday in London, scans revealed the entire extent of the injury, causing him to miss the remainder of the summer season and necessitating surgery.
Regarding his recovery, he will collaborate closely with the England and Surrey medical teams. England will not name a successor for the third Ashes Test, which begins on Thursday at Headingley, according to an official statement.
Dan Lawrence is anticipated to play the upcoming match at the number three position. The fact that the 25-year-old has not played Test cricket since England’s last tour of the West Indies remains a concern for the hosts.
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In terms of Lawrence’s batting form, the Essex cricketer has scored three fifty-plus scores in the last four T20 explosion matches. Even though Test cricket is an entirely different ball game, the cricketer is confident that he will perform well against England’s archrivals.
Mark Wood will presumably replace James Anderson or Stuart Broad for the Ben Stokes-led side.
