LONDON: English batsman Ollie Pope was a dodgy starter to the opening test against India on Saturday after sustaining a hamstring injury while serving for Surrey at Vitality Blast.
The 23-year-old wicketkeeper batsman sustained a hamstring injury during Surrey’s game against Kent in their T20 domestic tournament on July 2.
“The Pope was expelled until England’s LV = Insurance Test Series against India after sustaining a muscle injury in his left thigh,” the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement.
“The ECB and Surrey fitness teams will work together to enable Pope’s rehabilitation with a focus on making him available for the first test against India.”
This first test begins on August 4th at the Trent Bridge.
Pope has scored 882 runs in 19 tests, with a maximum score of 135, not being against South Africa in January 2020. However, he failed to hit the 35-run mark in his last 8 tests.
If he can’t recover from the injury in time, Dawid Malan, who impressed with the bat in England’s Limited Over Cricket, could get a chance.
