Cricket Interviews
Gus Atkinson's Pace and Potential Earn Him Ashes Call-Up, Says Former England Pacer Darren Gough
Gus Atkinson's pace and potential have earned him an Ashes call-up, says former England pacer Darren Gough. Atkinson's all-format impact makes him a key player for upcoming tours.
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Former England pacer Darren Gough reckons Gus Atkinson's pace helped earn the international call-up.
Gus Atkinson's Test debut at Lord's in July against the West Indies was James Anderson's farewell match. He made an instant impact with figures of 7/45 and 5/61.
Recently, against Sri Lanka, he scored a century at No. 8 and finished with a match haul of 7/102.
At 34 wickets in only six Tests along with a brisk century, Atkinson has earned his Ashes ticket, and since Mark Wood has been ruled out due to an elbow injury until 2025, England understands the potential of Atkinson in the upcoming tour of Pakistan and New Zealand.
He had complained of a tight quad during the third Test against Sri Lanka at The Oval and as a result, has been rested for the ODI series against Australia.
A strong competitor from U-15 cricket
Former England paceman Darren Gough said the 26-year-old youngster developed his game from the Under-15 days. "He has got off to a great start, hasn't he? I first saw him at 15 when he played against my son. His dad lives in Dubai, and I know him quite well. Atkinson was part of the U-15 Surrey team which was so strong with Ollie Pope, Sam Curran and Amar Virdy. It was an amazing bunch of players for that age group," Gough told SportsBoom.com.
Atkinson is an all-format impact player for England. He has featured in nine ODIs and three T20Is. Gough reasoned that Atkinson's pace helped earn the call-up. "He has matured but he had to wait and bide his time. Surrey always had great talent, and he had to wait for his opportunity.
He was bowling at a good pace and England fast-tracked bowlers with pace, and it has given him confidence. He is a fantastic bowler and surely can bat too.
Darren Gough
Experience and youth
Gough made his Test debut under Mike Atherton against New Zealand in Birmingham in 1994. He walked into a squad that had Graham Gooch, Alec Stewart and Graeme Hick.
Similarly, Atkinson rubbed shoulders with Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and Root early in his career, which is an experience. It can improve a player's performance. "It's always good to have a mix of experiences. Players have done things against all opposition in all countries with many young players. England has got it just right at the moment with terrific experience in Stokes, Root, Woakes and some young talent. They are not afraid to play players between 17 and 19. There is balance," said Gough, who expects Atkinson to shine brighter.
Despite winning the series (2-1) against Sri Lanka, The Oval defeat cost England crucial points. At present, they are sixth in the World Test Championship standings. The islanders are fifth, while India, Australia, New Zealand, and Bangladesh are in the top four.
The pacers have done well in Pakistan in previous tours. Now it's Atkinson's time to literally fill into Anderson's shoes and deliver in the subcontinent. The veteran finished with 44 wickets in India, 18 in Sri Lanka, eight in Pakistan, and 22 in the United Arab Emirates besides 438 wickets in England.
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Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya is a cricket journalist based in India who takes a keen interest in stories that unfold on and off the field. His expertise lies in news writing, features and profiles, interviews, stats, and numbers-driven stories. He has also worked as a podcaster and talk show host on cricket-related shows on YouTube and Spotify.