England's Gus Atkinson to miss Australia ODIs, Olly Stone recalled
Gus Atkinson, who has emerged as a leading fast bowler for England's Test side, has been withdrawn from the upcoming 50-over series against Australia. The decision was made to manage his workload following a demanding summer season. Despite making his debut only in July, Atkinson has already taken an impressive 34 wickets in six Tests. Atkinson, along with Chris Woakes, were the mainstay seamers during the series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.
Olly Stone replaces Atkinson for Australia ODIs
In light of Atkinson's rest, Olly Stone has been called up to join the squad for the five ODIs against Australia. This decision comes as England prepares for a three-Test series scheduled in Pakistan for September-Ocotber and another three-Test tour in New Zealand in November. The team is already dealing with the absence of Mark Wood due to an elbow injury and is restructuring its seam attack after Stuart Broad and James Anderson's retirements.
Atkinson's performance and injury concerns
Atkinson's debut was marked by a 12-wicket haul against the West Indies at Lord's. However, as the Sri Lanka series panned out, there were indications that his pace had decreased over the summer. He also spent some time off the field on Day 3 at The Oval due to a tight quad muscle. However, he came back to bowl 11 overs in the final innings, where he took a wicket.
Stand-in captain Pope on Atkinson's condition
Ollie Pope, England's stand-in Test captain, commented on Atkinson's condition saying, "I think he's okay. He's obviously got a couple weeks off now just to refresh and move forward." Pope expressed optimism about Atkinson's recovery and readiness for future matches. He also emphasized that the team is looking forward to their upcoming tours in Pakistan and New Zealand.
England squad for Australia ODI series
England ODI squad to play Australia: Jos Buttler (captain), Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, and John Turner.
