Less than two months before England land in Australia, the timing was hardly ideal.
Speaking after England’s home summer ended with a washed out T20 against South Africa at Trent Bridge, McCullum did the interview rounds ahead of a winter that will see him take the white-ball squad on a tour of his native New Zealand before the biggest series of them all kicks off in Perth on 21 November.
Pope’s form tailed off dramatically after scoring a century against India (Photo: Getty)
However, it was the admission Pope’s place in the team and his role as vice-captain were both under threat that really stood out.
“Every time you get together with a series, you discuss things. I think it’s no secret Harry Brook is emerging as a leader within English cricket, so that’s something we need to work out.”
Stripping Pope of the vice-captaincy also makes him vulnerable to losing his place in the XI.
That early score seemed to have ended the debate about whether Jacob Bethell might replace Pope at three.
The emergence of Jacob Bethell is proving to be a thorn in his side (Photo: Getty)
Yet things shifted during the white-ball series against South Africa after Bethell scored a magnificent first hundred in the final ODI at Southampton earlier this month.
It is hardly a ringing endorsement and suggests that at best for Pope, he could be involved in a bat-off with Bethell during England’s only warm-up match against the Lions in Perth in mid-November.
England need to be settled and fully focused to stand a chance in Australia.
It is understood there is some difference in opinion between senior figures about who should bat at No 3.
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Yet the treatment of Bethell this summer has been poor, with a lack of first-class cricket setting him up to fail when he got his chance in that final Test against India.
Now, as he leads an under-strength England squad to Ireland this week for a three-match T20 series, Bethell’s status as his country’s youngest-ever captain will be overshadowed by more speculation about this winter’s Ashes.
And it could all so easily have been avoided had McCullum and England been braver earlier in the summer.
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