England Cricket Board made a surprise inclusion in their recent announcement regarding their squad announcement for the upcoming New Zealand and World Cup 2023 campaign.
Gus Atkinson Included in England’s World Cup Squad
Though Ben Stoke’s ODI retirement reversal announcement left fans in awe, the inclusion of Gus Atkinson confused many cricket fans. Gus Atkinson is not a name that fans use to hear often in the England squad announcement.
Who is Gus Atkinson?
The 6ft 2in Angus Alexander Patrick Atkinson is a right-arm fast-medium bowler born on January 19, 1998, in Chelsea, Middlesex. He made his first-class debut on 8 August 2020, for Surrey in the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy.
He made his Twenty20 debut on 28 August 2020, for Surrey in the 2020 T20 Blast and made his List A debut on 22 July 2021, for Surrey in the 2021 Royal London One-Day Cup.
Why was Gus Atkinson Included in England World Cup Squad?
Gus Atkinson’s maiden call-up to the England squad comes on the back of strong performances in the County Championship and The Hundred. The Surrey quick clocked 95 mph in The Hundred and notably made Jos Buttler uncomfortable in a manic face-off in the tournament last week.
Luke Wright on Gus Atkinson
Interestingly, his last appearance in a professional fifty-overs game came two years ago, making his call-up a big gamble from England. Luke Wright, England’s National Selector, though, is confident that the fast bowler would be a “real asset” for them.
“First and foremost, Gus deserves to be in there,” Wright said while announcing the squad.
“I’m sure everyone’s been watching him, he’s hugely exciting and he’s been outstanding, not just in the Hundred but also how he’s gone in the Blast. He roughed me up on a few occasions when I was still playing and marked my card. He’s a real asset for us and we’re delighted to give him an opportunity.”
Gus Atkinson has had his share of injuries with stress fractures right through his career putting a dent on his match count across formats. England ODI team will encounter New Zealand to play 4 ODI matches and 4 T20I matches before heading to the World Cup 2023 in India.
England’s Provisional 15-member Squad for WC 2023
Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes
