Ollie Pope

Ollie Pope established himself as a key middle-order batter for England and Surrey after signing a professional contract with Surrey in 2016 and making his List A debut the same year. He then made his first-class debut in 2017 against Oxford MCCU, scoring his maiden first-class century later that year against Hampshire. During the 2017/18 winter, Pope participated in the ECB’s overseas placement program in Australia, playing for Campbelltown-Camden District Cricket Club where he accumulated 994 runs, including three centuries, earning commendation in the New South Wales parliament for his performances. Pope’s breakout year was 2018, marked by a pivotal role in Surrey’s County Championship-winning campaign.

He accumulated 684 runs in Division One of the County Championship, achieving four centuries with a 70.42 average, earning him the prestigious PCA Young Player of the Year award. His international career commenced with his Test debut against India in 2018 at Lord’s, where he scored 28 runs. He continued his prolific form into 2019, emerging as Surrey’s highest-scoring batter in their first-class season with 812 runs at an average of 101, including three centuries in nine innings. Pope scored his maiden Test century for England, a notable 135 against South Africa in Port Elizabeth, during the third Test of the 2020 tour.

Later that year, he stepped into the captaincy role for three matches against Sri Lanka in Ben Stokes’ absence. Demonstrating his exceptional batting prowess, he became the first Test cricketer to score centuries against eight different international teams in 2025, following a knock of 171 against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge. In September 2025, he transitioned from his role as vice-captain of the England Test team.