I wouldnât mind copying Virat Kohli, reveals Ollie Pope
English cricketer Ollie Pope has reckoned that while he doesn't usually copy others players but he would make an exception for Indiaâs Virat Kohli. Pope. Debuting at the age of 20, Pope admitted that the Test series against India helped him get used to the pressure of playing in the biggest level.
England youngster Ollie Pope is still just 20-year-old but has set the expectation bar very high after impressing in the domestic circuit with some promising displays with Surrey County. The young batsman was also called up to the England squad for the Test series against India last year and made his debut for the three lions in the process as well.
Pope, who is currently in Kerala with the England Lions squad, was all praise for the Indian team as he singled out skipper Virat Kohli for special mention in a recent interview. The lad from Chelsea revealed that he was in awe of Kohli's batting technique, especially in the Nottingham Test where India beat England by a whopping 203 runs.
"I usually don't try and copy other players, but one player I wouldn't mind is Kohli, to be honest. I think the way he (Kohli) played there (in Nottingham), it was awesome to play against him and see him first-hand. The way he stood outside his crease when he batted and tried to negotiate the swing. He was who I enjoyed watching and I learnt a lot from him," Pope told PTI reporters.
Pope, was awarded the PCA Young Player of the Year award and was subsequently selected for England's tour of Sri Lanka. However, the youngster was not was released from the tour in order to join up with the England Lions for their game against Pakistan A in the UAE.Â
"I sort of experienced the ups and the downs within two weeks of cricket, which has actually put me in good stead for the future. It doesn't really get bigger than that. The Test series was a good way of me to understand what sort of a player I was. Mentally I felt I coped with all of that pretty well," Pope said in an interview.
