Ollie Pope Biography – Early Life, Career, Stats & Records

Oliver John Douglas Pope is an English Professional cricketer who played tests for the England Cricket Team and is yet to make his T20I and ODI debut in his international cricket. His debut has made many criticisms as he was an inexperienced player during his debut.

On this occasion, Sachin Tendulkar gave a motivational boost to the youngster by saying that if someone is good, he must get a chance and age should not be considered during selection.

Ollie Pope Biography

Ollie Pope’s Early and Personal Life 

Ollie Pope attended Cranleigh School and is the great-great-great-grandson of the school’s headmaster, Joseph Merriman. He plays for Guildford and Cranleigh Cricket Clubs and was a member of the Surrey age-group sides.

Pope devoted himself to countless hours of training in batting and wicketkeeping. His talent began to shine in Cranleigh school which made him the young cricketing sensation.

Domestic Career

• Ollie Pope signed a Professional two-year contract with Surrey. He made his List A debut for Surrey in the semi-final of the Royal London One-Day Cup against Yorkshire.
• Ollie Pope made his FC debut on March 28 2017 for Surrey against Oxford MCCU as part of the Marylebone Cricket Club University fixtures. Pope scored his maiden List A half-century on 07 May 2017 against Sussex.
• He made his T20 debut for Surrey in the NatWest t20 Blast 2017 on July 07, 2017.  Pope scored his maiden FC century against Hampshire at the end of the 2017 season, at the age of 19.

• During the 2017-18 winter season, he played for the Campbelltown-Camden District Cricket Club in the NSW Premier Cricket League where he scored 994 runs including 3 centuries, and even received a commendation in the New South Wales Parliament from the club’s vice president MP Chris Paterson.
• Pope had a stunning season in 2018 when he hit 4 centuries and averaged 70.42 runs in Surrey’s County Championship-winning campaign. He was awarded the PCA Young Player of the Year Award.
• Pope was the highest-scoring Surrey batter in their FC season with 812 runs at an average of 101, including 3 centuries, across 3 centuries across 9 innings.
• Pope gave re-entry for Surrey in nine matches of the County Championship 2021 after the Covid 2020 season, scoring 861 runs at an average of 78.27, including a total of 245 against Leicestershire and a career-best 274 runs against Glamorgan.
• In April 2022, He joined Welsh Fire for The Hundred 2022 season.

International Career

Despite waiting for his ODI and T20I debut, Ollie Pope has a good record in Tests. He made his test debut in 2018 on India’s tour of England.

Test Career

Pope made his test debut in the second test match played on August 09 – 12 against India in 2018 on home soil. He comes in handy with 28 runs in the only innings before being dismissed by Hardik Pandya on lbw.

• Later that year, Ollie Pope was selected for England’s tour of Sri Lanka. However, he did not play in the tests after he was released from tour to join up with the England Lions for the games against Pakistan A in the UAE.

• During Ashes 2019, Pope was called up as cover for Jason Roy before the third test at Headingley.
• He was then called up for England’s test squad to face New Zealand. In the first test played on November 21, where he amassed only 35 runs combining first and second innings.
  • In the second test beginning on November 29, he smashed 75 runs in the first innings helping the side to end the match in a draw.
• Pope was part of the England squad which toured South Africa in 2019, where he missed the first test due to illness.
  • Ollie Pope smashed an unbeaten 61* runs in the first innings of the second match but scored only 3 runs before being dismissed by Rabada and then smashed a maiden test century in the third test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth.
• Pope was named in a 55-man group of players to begin training ahead of international fixtures starting in England following the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On July 04, 2020, Pope was named in England’s 13-member squad for the first test match of the series.
• He smashed 215 runs at an average of 26.9 against Pakistan and West Indies, including scores of 91 and 62.
• Pope played in all four tests in India tour scoring 153 runs at an average of 19.1 in England’s 3-1 series defeat.
• In England’s 2021 series against New Zealand, Pope made 84 runs in four innings. Due to a Quad injury.
• Pope was included in the England squad for the 2022 test series against New Zealand. During the second test, he made a score of 145 runs.
• On May 16, 2023, Pope was named England’s Vice Captain. During June 2023, Pope shattered the record of the quickest Test double Hundred to be made in England, as he reached 200 runs in 207 deliveries against Ireland.
• Pope was part of the test squad which played in the England tour of India in 2024. He smashed a match-winning knock of 196 runs which is the fourth-highest score by an English player. England suffered a defeat in the series 4-1.
• Pope was part of England’s squad for 3 match test series against West Indies at home ground where the side won the series 3-0.
  • During the first innings of the second test, Pope smashed a stunning century helping the side to ensure a quick victory against West Indies.

Ollie Pope Awards

• Ollie Pope was awarded the PCA Young Player of the Year Award after a brilliant season in 2018.