Ollie Pope says he respects England’s decision to replace him with Harry Brook as vice-captain for the Ashes series.

The Ashes is make or break for Ollie Pope. He plays his 62nd Test at Perth, drawing level with the likes of Ted Dexter and Robin Smith for number of England caps, after holding off Jacob Bethell for his place.

Pope Leo XIV appealed for persecuted Christians around the globe on Sunday, making specific mention of Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Celebrating Mass for the Jubilee of the Poor on the Ninth World Day of the Poor, Pope Leo XIV urged Christians not to retreat into a closed or “religious” world of their own, but to help make human society “a space of fraternity and dignity for all,

The Surrey batter was relieved of the England vice-captaincy in September with his position in the side under threat, but has responded well

Jonathan Agnew and Stephan Shemilt are in Perth where the men’s Ashes begins in just 5 days’ time. Ollie Pope joins us to talk about the pressure of cementing his number three slot and losing the vice captaincy to Harry Brook.

But left unspoken at a Vatican meeting with film stars were the deep divisions over issues like abortion and homosexuality.