Injured Ollie Pope ruled out of Ashes 2023

Batter Ollie Pope has been ruled out of the entire Ashes 2023 series after his right shoulder dislocated during the second Test match against Australia. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) released an official statement on Tuesday to announce Pope’s absence in England’s remaining campaign. “Scans in London on Monday revealed the full extent of the injury and he will miss the rest of the summer campaign and will require surgery. He will work closely with the England and Surrey medical teams in respect of his rehabilitation. England will not call up a replacement for the third Ashes Test, which starts at Headingley on Thursday,” read ECB statement. Pope initially damaged his shoulder as he dived to stop the ball on day one of the Lord’s Test, Pope injury further aggravated on day three after the umpires insisted that he he should take the field after batting in England’s first innings. According to ESPNcricinfo England were willing to accept sliding Pope straight down to the number 7 spot in the batting order and use a substitute fielder which is the standard process when a player is off the field for a brief period of time. But that option was not offered by match officials. Umpires’s decision left England frustrated, and England’s spin bwoling coach Jeetan Patel revealed that England would have had to field with ten men if Pope didn’t turn up on the field.