'I'm not surprised', Ollie Pope reacts to criticism from Michael Vaughan

England's stand-in captain, Ollie Pope, has faced sharp criticism following his performance in the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's, despite England securing a 190-run victory. With regular captain Ben Stokes sidelined due to injury, Pope stepped in to lead the team, but his stint as captain and his batting display have come under scrutiny.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan was particularly harsh in his assessment, calling Pope "an insecure human being" and expressing doubts about his suitability as a leader. 

"He's not the kind of personality I'd want as the England captain. He's quite an insecure human being—a great team guy and person, but throwing the captaincy on him has added pressure. He was doing great at number three," Vaughan said.

In response to the criticism, Pope acknowledged that he expected some negative feedback, especially while filling in for Stokes. However, he emphasized the importance of blocking out the "outside noise" and focusing on his game as England prepares for the third and final Test at The Oval.

"I'm not surprised. Chatting to Stokesy before this series, when you're captain as well, you're going to attract a lot more [criticism]. To be honest, it is just important to block it out and keep staying close with the people around you. There's a lot of voices, a lot of guys who want to have their say - some past cricketers as well - and that's completely fine," Pope said.

Pope stressed the need to stay focused and not let the criticism affect his mindset. 

"Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but it's important for us as a team and me to stay and keep trusting the people in the four walls, because that's not going to help me get back into my best form. Sometimes, when you have two bad games, it can feel a lot worse than it is because of the noise that's surrounding it,

"For me, it's just trying to stay as level as I can and keep on trusting the people around me, putting my work in, and not really overthinking it, to be honest. When I went and made good runs in that West Indies series, that's exactly what I was playing like, so there's no real need for me to get too involved in what people are saying," he further added.

Looking ahead to the final Test at The Oval, Pope is determined to find his form again. Despite his struggles, he remains confident and hopeful as he returns to his home ground, where he has enjoyed success in the past.

"Obviously it's a great place to bat. It's always special getting back to The Oval, where I've played all my county cricket, so hopefully there will be a great crowd in. Everyone will be excited to get to The Oval," he concluded.