GO YOUR OWN WAY

Stokes gives Pope control but will be shoulder for new skipper to lean on

- GIDEON BROOKS

OLLIE POPE says Ben Stokes has assured him he will not be a ‘back-seat driver’, insisting his injured skipper has told him to stamp his own mark on the summer.

A hamstring injury to Stokes, sustained in The Hundred and ruling him out of the three-Test series against Sri Lanka, will not stop the all rounder from being in the dressing room throughout.

Yet Pope, who has set his sights on securing England’s first clean sweep summer since 2004, says Stokes has assured him he will keep his nose out unless asked.

“We’ve already spoken about this and he’s pretty clear that he wants me to go out and do my thing my own way,” said Pope when asked whether he feared Stokes meddling.

“But he’s more than happy to talk things through when I want to lean on him as well.