The England Cricket Board (ECB) has pulled Gus Atkinson out of The Hundred 2024 finale as a precautionary measure before the Sri Lanka Test series.
England will face Sri Lanka in the first of the three-match Test series on August 21 at Old Trafford, followed by the second game scheduled at Lord’s while the third Test will be played at Kennington Oval.
The pace bowler had played only one game for the Oval Invincibles, in which he conceded 28 runs off 10 deliveries without taking a wicket.
“Gus has been withdrawn, which is quite understandable. It’s disappointing for him but Saqib Mahmood has been phenomenal for us all tournament and showed his class the other night. He’ll stay in the side.” Oval Invincibles skipper Sam Billings said.
It is pertinent to mention that the ECB had previously pulled Chris Woakes out of The Hundred after star all-rounder Ben Stokes was injured days earlier in a Northern Superchargers’ game.
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“I’ve been in that position before where as a young player, you get withdrawn and miss out on playing time. For anyone to play in a final at Lord’s in the leading domestic competition in the country, in front of a packed house is perfect preparation for international cricket,” Billings said.
Gus Atkinson made his Test debut in the recently concluded series against West Indies.
He bagged 22 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls in the three-game home Test series.
For his heroics, he won the Player of the Series as England completed a 3-0 whitewash on the West Indies.
Apart from his Test figures, Gus Atkinson has represented England in nine ODIs and three T20Is in which he has taken 17 wickets.
Oval Invincible have already qualified for the final of The Hundred and will clash with the winner of the Eliminator between the Birmingham Pheonix and the Southern Brave for the title.
