Pakistan v England: Ollie Pope remains focussed on batting

Ollie Pope had lone kept wicket successful 1 Test anterior to England's bid successful Pakistan

Ollie Pope says batting is inactive his precedence contempt keeping wicket successful England's 2 Test wins successful Pakistan.

"My main precedence is to support churning retired runs ," said Pope.

"I'd inactive emotion to necktie down fig three, marque that my own. That volition beryllium my superior focus."

Prior to the archetypal Test, Pope had lone kept wicket successful 7 first-class matches, including 1 Test successful New Zealand successful 2019.

He scored a period successful the archetypal innings successful Rawalpindi, but had a mixed crippled with the gloves. He dropped a drawback successful Pakistan's archetypal innings and failed to determination for an borderline erstwhile England were pushing for triumph connected the last afternoon.

However, helium besides claimed a astute stumping and an acrobatic drawback down the limb broadside disconnected James Anderson.

In the 2nd Test successful Multan, Pope made 60 with the bat successful England's archetypal innings and had a mostly error-free crippled with the gloves. His instrumentality down the limb broadside to clasp Saud Shakeel disconnected the bowling of Mark Wood connected the 4th morning, fixed lone aft a lengthy deliberation by the 3rd umpire, proved important successful England's win.

"I decidedly didn't expect to beryllium keeping retired here. It wasn't connected my radar," said Pope. "With the guys getting sick past week, it gave america different bowling enactment truthful I was blessed to instrumentality it on. I've enjoyed the experience.

"I tin inactive bash better. I'm not adjacent going to comparison myself to Foakesy arsenic a keeper, but I took my chances successful the 2nd Test."

England skipper Ben Stokes has regularly called Foakes "the champion wicketkeeper successful the world".

Though England person the options of utilizing Pope oregon the injured Jonny Bairstow down the stumps, Stokes said Foakes' omission from the squad that played successful Multan was nary denotation of his aboriginal prospects.

The equilibrium of England's squad is apt to alteration for the 2 Tests successful New Zealand successful February, oregon Foakes could instrumentality if Stokes' broadside marque alterations for the 3rd Test against Pakistan successful Karachi, opening connected Saturday.

Pope said helium is blessed to support successful the 3rd Test if asked and that Surrey team-mate Foakes has been helping him with his glovework.

"He's the champion successful the world, 1 of my champion mates and large to larn from," said Pope.

"In antithetic conditions, determination similar New Zealand, we mightiness spell with a much regular team. That's not for maine to decide."

England clasp an unassailable 2-0 lead, the archetypal clip they person beaten Pakistan successful a Test bid extracurricular the UK for 22 years.

They volition look for a cleanable expanse successful Karachi - Pakistan person ne'er been defeated 3-0 successful a location Test series.