Gus Atkinson withdrawn from Australia ODI series as England’s bowling concerns mount

Gus Atkinson has been withdrawn from England’s white-ball series against Australia after struggling with a thigh injury during the eight-wicket defeat by Sri Lanka in the final Test match of the summer.

Stand-in captain Ollie Pope said Atkinson will need to rest ahead of England’s series in Pakistan, which begins on Oct 7.

“I think he’s OK,” Pope said. “He’s got a couple of weeks off to refresh and put his feet up.”

Atkinson still bowled 11 overs in Sri Lanka’s run chase. He claimed the lone wicket to fall on the fourth day, dismissing Kusal Mendis with a well-directed bouncer caught by Shoaib Bashir at fine leg.

“The way he bowled today and just chatting to him, he actually says it already feels better today than when he first felt [the injury],” Pope said. “That’s a positive for us so fingers crossed it’s all good.”

Atkinson enjoyed a stunning debut Test summer. Playing all six England Tests, he claimed 34 wickets at an average of just 20.2, bowling a relentless line and length at speeds consistently exceeding 85mph in the manner of Australia’s pair Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Atkinson is now firmly established as an essential part of England’s attack in all conditions, with the management believing his attributes will bring success across the world.

The concern about Atkinson is a reminder that England’s fast bowlers have suffered a series of problems in recent years. Jofra Archer has not played Test cricket since 2021, while Mark Wood has suffered numerous injuries, with an elbow issue now ruling him out of the rest of the year. Josh Tongue, who impressed in the Ashes Test at Lord’s last summer, is currently ruled out with a pectoral injury.

Olly Stone has been called up as a replacement for Atkinson for the ODIs against Australia. Picking Stone is an indication that England intend to prioritise high pace in building their white-ball bowling attack, just as they have done in Tests. The Nottinghamshire quick bowler claimed seven wickets at an average of 29.4 in an impressive return to international cricket in the final two Tests against Sri Lanka. Stone has previously played eight ODIs, taking eight wickets at an average of 39.6.

Yet Stone’s call-up to the ODI side comes at a time when his importance to the Test team is greater than ever. Stone is the nearest that England have to a like-for-like replacement for Wood. If fully fit, he could expect to play four of the six Tests that England have before Christmas – three apiece in Pakistan and New Zealand.

While there are indications that Stone is now more robust, his career has been littered with injury. He had a career-saving operation on his back in 2021 and has worked his way up to full fitness since. So far this summer, Stone has already bowled more deliveries in first-class cricket than in any year since 2015.

Stone, who turns 31 next month, is not centrally contracted, though he is primed to win a new deal when the new contracts come into effect in the next month. Selection for the ODI squad will mean that Stone could actually bowl considerably less than had he not been picked, and was instead playing in the County Championship.

The three-Test series in Pakistan begins just four weeks after the conclusion of England’s Test summer. While Stone is replacing Atkinson in the white-ball series against Australia, England will hope to be able to deploy both in tandem against Pakistan.

England are committed to fielding at least two high-pace bowlers in each Test side - that is, two from Wood, Atkinson, Stone, Archer and Tongue. If they are to do so, England will need to manage these men with care: resting pace bowlers from less important engagements, and then unleashing them when they are needed most.