The on-field umpire’s determination to ask an injured Ollie Pope to area in Australia’s second innings throughout the ongoing second Ashes Test at Lord’s has left hosts England “bewildered”.
Pope, who left the sector on the opening day after having injured his shoulder throughout a diving effort whereas fielding, was declared match sufficient to bat in his typical place at No.3 in England’s first innings after receiving therapy.
He made 42 as England had been all out for 325 of their first innings. Australia had been 130/2 at stumps on day three of their second innings, with a lead of 221.
On-field umpire Marais Erasmus then mentioned Pope must area in Australia’s second innings or he wouldn’t be capable to bat at No.3 later within the match, leaving the English dressing room irked.
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“He is sore but he should be OK to bat again tomorrow,” England’s spin-bowling coach Jeetan Patel was quoted as saying by the English media.
“We’re a bit bewildered by it all. We haven’t clarified yet with the officials as to why he was told he had to get back out there and field.
“It’s a pretty tough situation when you nearly bust your shoulder and you’re told it was an external (injury), is it still an external, we don’t know? “He had to go back out there. It was always going to happen, isn’t it? He’s so committed to this team he was always going to fall on something, and now he’s back off the field icing his shoulder,” he added.
Pope, who has had two severe shoulder accidents up to now, landed closely at mid-on which worsened the damage.
“It’s a bit confusing. We assume that he was told he had to be back out on the field or else we had to field with 10 men, and that made no sense to me,” Patel mentioned.
“It’s a bit messy if I’m honest with you. We’re probably as frustrated as everyone else out there that saw what happened, and him, and he’s probably more angry at the situation than anything else.”
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com