Former England fast bowling great Stuart Broad has delivered a pointed critique of current paceman Gus Atkinson, stating the young bowler needs to significantly work on his body language following a underwhelming performance in the Ashes series in Australia.
Broad's Blunt Assessment of Atkinson's Demeanour
Analysing England's pace attack during the high-profile series, Broad highlighted that while Atkinson possesses excellent technical attributes, his on-field presence is lacking. "Atkinson has amazing attributes," Broad told Sky Sports. "He still averages under 25 with the ball, he wobbles the seam, he can swing it, he’s tall, he’s consistent, but his body language is not of a Test-match bowler in the battle. He has work to do on that."
Broad elaborated that this aspect becomes critically important against top-tier teams like Australia. He suggested the issue isn't with Atkinson's skill or mental fortitude, but with the signals he sends to both his teammates and the opposition. "That doesn’t matter so much when you’re playing teams you should dominate and beat, but not against top teams," Broad explained. The key area for improvement, according to the 604-Test-wicket veteran, is "letting your team know you are leading this group."
A Tour Marred by Injury and Poor Returns
Broad's comments come on the back of a difficult tour for the 27-year-old Atkinson. His challenges were compounded on Monday when he was ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes series with a hamstring injury. He became the third England seamer to be sidelined, following Mark Wood and Jofra Archer.
Statistically, Atkinson's tour has been disappointing. He managed to pick up only six wickets across the matches he played, conceding runs at a high average of 47. Observers noted he often looked flat and unable to impose himself on the Australian batters, a point Broad's analysis seems to underscore.
The Tiger Woods Mindset: Never Look Down
To illustrate his point about body language, Broad cited the example of golf legend Tiger Woods. He described how Woods would never let his eyes drop below the horizon, maintaining a posture of strength and control regardless of the situation. Broad adopted a similar philosophy during his own playing career.
"When I was under pressure or struggling I would keep my eyes above the horizon because then someone couldn’t tell if I’d bowled a good or bad ball," Broad revealed. The core lesson, he emphasised, is to ensure "your opposition cannot feel like they are getting on top of you." This psychological warfare, Broad implies, is where Atkinson currently falls short.
The critique arrives as England's Ashes campaign has already concluded in defeat, having lost the series within the first 11 days of cricket after being outplayed in the initial three Tests. While they managed a dramatic two-day win in Melbourne, their overall performance has been deemed average at best.
For Gus Atkinson, recovering from his injury will be the immediate priority. However, once fit, he will also need to reflect on the advice from one of England's most successful ever bowlers and work on projecting the unflappable confidence required to thrive in the toughest Test arenas.
