Not Ollie Pope, but Harry Brook should be Ben Stokes' successor: Michael Vaughan
The 26-year-old was recently appointed England's white-ball captain after Jos Buttler resigned from his role following England's winless Champions Trophy 2025 campaign.Vaughan, who cherishes an excellent record as a Test captain by winning 26 out of 51 Tests during his tenure, backed his call by explaining the difference between a vice-captain and a leader.'I look at someone like Ollie Pope, who looks a fantastic vice-captain. He is a brilliant person to have next to the captain to come up with ideas. Sometimes vice-captains aren't brilliant captains.'The veteran batter even recalled his own playing days to explain the subtle difference between the two leaders who are at the helm for the team.'Marcus Trescothick was a magnificent vice-captain for me but you wouldn't want to give him the captaincy.'Vaughan believes that a vice-captain is someone who supports the captain with ideas, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are suited to lead, highlighting that 'sometimes vice-captains aren't brilliant captains.'While Pope is captaining the Test side for the fifth time, Vaughan made it clear that his concern lies only in what's best for the team.'I just want the best captain who is the best leader leading the England side. I don't think a good vice-captain will necessarily be a good captain," he added.England will be touring Australia for the all-important Ashes series starting in November, later this year, and with Ben Stokes unlikely to be available for all five Tests, the ever-enigmatic English Test side could very well play the move against their arch-rivals, Australia.- EndsMust Watch
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Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘I was never the villain, I was made into one': Oval pitch curator who irked Gautam Gambhir after epic India vs England encounter
India came back from a seemingly hopeless situation to win the Oval Test and draw the five-match series against England 2-2. It marked the end of a series that was filled with incidents. While most of it happened on the field, India head coach Gautam Gambhir's argument with Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis before the start of the fifth Test was easily the most prominent off-field flare-up over the course of the series. Gambhir firing angry words at Fortis is what went viral first and the Indian head coach received some criticism for his choice of words to describe the latter's profession. However, details later emerged about what it is that irked Gambhir so much and that led to Fortis being accused of favouring England at best and having a colonial mindset towards the Indians at worst. The track that Fortis and his ground staff prepared, and maintained admirably in a Test that was frequently interrupted by rain, coughed up a thriller, though, with India winning it by just six runs – their lowest margin of victory by runs in Test cricket. 'Well, I was never the villain, I was made into one,' Fortis is quoted as saying by PTI. 'Hope you guys enjoyed the show and the atmosphere was like the IPL. It was a great game.' Indian head coaches Gautam Gambhir and Sitanshu Kotak were asked by Fortis, through a messenger, to stay 2.5 metres away from the playing surface. He also shouted at the Indian support staff to not take a 'cooler' to the ground. Batting coach Kotak, who was close to the action and played the pacifier when an animated Gambhir was talking to Fortis, gave details about the net session altercation. 'When we went to see the pitch, we were asked by someone to keep a 2.5-metre distance. This was surprising. The Test would be in a few days and we were wearing joggers. So it felt a bit odd. We all have been on the ground enough, we have played so much cricket. Curators are possessive about the ground and the square but they need to understand that they are speaking to highly skilled and intelligent people.' Kotak said.
India Today
5 hours ago
- India Today
Will you stand up and greet Gautam Gambhir now? Sidhu slams India coach's critics
Former cricketer and commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu has hit back at critics of Gautam Gambhir, asking whether they would now "stand up and greet" the India head coach after the team's gutsy 2-2 draw in the recently concluded Test series in a strong-worded response on his YouTube channel, Sidhu praised Gambhir's conviction and belief in the team during a high-pressure tour that came in the immediate aftermath of the Test retirements of senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit do a lot of hero-worshipping. I want to say that whenever India plays even a little badly, anyone and everyone climbs on Gautam Gambhir and blames him. Will you stand up and greet him today?" Sidhu said, addressing those who had doubted Gambhir's credentials and leadership. India, under Gambhir's guidance, produced a stirring performance to hold England to a 2-2 draw, culminating in a memorable victory at The Oval. The result, earned after five fiercely-contested Tests, was seen as a reflection of India's evolving Test core and a triumph for the team's youth-led credited Gambhir for backing players like Akash Deep and Washington Sundar and for initiating a transition phase that many were sceptical about at the time. While there was criticism over not picking wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, Sidhu applauded Gambhir for standing by his decisions."It was Gautam Gambhir who insisted on this transition, who gave opportunities to guys like Akash Deep and Washington. Yes, Kuldeep was maybe a better option. But he had conviction. There will be scope for improvement today and tomorrow as well. But for someone who has been questioned and criticised so much, today give him the due that he deserves," he the boldness of the selections and the belief shown in young talent, Sidhu said Gambhir's philosophy has borne fruit. "There were many unknowns when the team went who had not made their name. Gambhir had said three to four big names are missing from the team but think of it as an opportunity for others to establish themselves. His words have proven to be true."Drawing parallels with famous overseas victories, Sidhu added, "Be it Brisbane, Perth, or England, history has been scripted by youngsters and it is a big thing."Gambhir had come into the series under pressure following a disappointing home whitewash at the hands of New Zealand and a tough tour of Australia. But with a renewed focus on long-term vision and youth, the team's resilience in England has sparked renewed confidence.- EndsYou May Also Like
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5 hours ago
- News18
Mohammed Siraj's Reply To Asaduddin Owaisi's 'Poora Khol Diye Pasha' Tweet Goes Viral
Last Updated: Siraj played all five Test matches for India in the series against England and accounted for the dismissal of 23 batters. In the fifth Test he picked up 9 (4+5) wickets. Mohammed Siraj is making headlines in India these days for his super show with the ball in the recently concluded five-match Test series between India and England. The 31-year-old fast bowler from Hyderabad played five matches of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and accounted for the dismissal of 23 batters. In the fifth and final Test of away series, he dismissed four English batters in the first innings and picked up five wickets for 104 runs in the second innings to help Shubman Gill-led side successfully defend the target of 374 runs and win the red-ball match at The Oval by six runs. For his super show in the fifth Test, Siraj earned a lot of praise from Indian fans back home. The likes of Virat Kohli, Jay Shah and Sachin Tendulkar among others posted tweet praising Siraj. Politician Asaduddin Owaisi, who is Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Hyderabad, also took to X to share a tweet praising Siraj. In his viral tweet Owaisi shared a GIF of Siraj celebrating after taking a wicket and he captioned it, 'Always a winner @mdsirajofficial! As we say in Hyderabadi, poora khol diye Pasha!" Siraj took note of Owaisi's tweet on Wednesday (August 4), and he replied by writing, 'Thank you so much sir always cheering for me." After India's win sealed a win by six runs in the fifth Test played at The Oval from July 31 to August 4 to level the series 2-2, Virat Kohli posted a tweet, and in that he gave a special mention to Siraj. 'Great win by team India. Resilience and determination from Siraj and Prasidh has given us this phenomenal victory. Special mention to Siraj, who will put everything on the line for the team. Extremely happy for him," Kohli tweeted. For his super show with the ball in the fifth Test, Siraj won the Player of the Match award. Siraj's nine-wicket show in the fifth Test also helped him rise 12 positions in the ICC Test bowler's rankings. In the latest ICC rankings released on Wednesday, Siraj jumped from 27th position to 15th. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
