Ollie Pope has three opportunities to demonstrate his suitability as Ben Stokes’ replacement:  Nasser Hussain

Nasser Hussain, a former England international, believes Ollie Pope will lead the team in the forthcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. In addition to putting England in a difficult position in terms of leadership, Ben Stokes’ hamstring injury will keep him out of the series, which calls on the team management to address the combination. Ben Stokes led the squad with distinction.

Considering that James Anderson is no longer available, it remains to be seen if the hosts would use a pacer to cover for Stokes or play an additional batter. Pope, who has been named the series captain, has a difficult task ahead of him, but Hussain believes the cricketer has a fantastic opportunity.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has supported Pope through good times and bad. When Stokes took over, he was also named vice-captain to give him a sense of value, but the all-rounder was always available, so he never really had a say in the game. Pope gets an opportunity to demonstrate that he is the best player to guide the squad in Stokes’ absence as this is the first occasion he would be missing out.

Pope has my finest intentions when facing Sri Lanka. He might perform to such a high standard that the argument over Stokes’ successor is settled quickly. In his Daily Mail column, Hussain writes, “The succession planning may be taken care of.

Ollie Pope, though, is having his moment right now.

When England has to make a long-term decision, Ollie Pope will have three games to demonstrate that he can be Stokes’ natural replacement, if the player recovers from his hamstring injury in time for the October trip to Pakistan, the player continued.

Hussain also made a note of how crucial this relocation is for next tours. He clarified that in the event that Stokes sustains an injury during the upcoming Ashes, a capable team captain should take over in Australia. He described it as a future investment as well.

What would happen if Stokes, who has a history of injuries, is hurt on the first morning at the Gabba and a guy with no prior leadership experience takes over the armband? Pope should therefore utilise these three games to determine his current and desired level of captaincy. Consider it an investment in the future, advised Hussain.