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England’s Ollie Pope insisted on one thing being crystal clear for the Surrey team he was about to lead into T20 Blast action.
“I said ‘look lads, this is my first time doing this. If you feel like I’ve got something wrong, just come to me. I don’t care if you say I had a terrible game as captain – come to me. I’d rather that than you bitch about me behind my back for a day or two’.
“And that’s what everyone did,” Pope tells BBC Sport. “If they wanted to talk about anything, I was sweet. I was open, if I did get it wrong, to guys coming up, because I’m learning on the job.”
Pope’s straight-talking approach speaks to many of his best qualities. It speaks to his humility. Here was England’s Test vice-captain, a shoo-in at first drop and, likely, Ben Stokes’ successor, returning to a county dressing room – albeit his county – and requesting a little help.
It speaks to his personal development. And it speaks to his perceptiveness and innate ability to take a room’s temperature.
“I’ve been part of changing rooms where guys have got frustrated – not necessarily now, but previously,” says Pope.
“You lose a few games, guys start talking, and suddenly they are getting frustrated at people within the leadership group. I know that just makes things worse and worse, and things fester. I think a team where you can openly criticise and give each other feedback will be more successful in the long run.”
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