England's emerging fast bowling talent Gus Atkinson has expressed his contentment with staying out of the spotlight as he prepares for his inaugural Ashes experience in Australia.
Flying Under the Radar
The Surrey seamer, who has made an impressive start to his Test career with 63 wickets at an average of 22.07 across just 13 matches, has found himself largely overlooked in the media frenzy building towards Friday's first Test at Perth Stadium.
With much attention focused on the potential pairing of express quicks Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, and the anticipated lively surface in Perth, the softly-spoken Atkinson appears perfectly comfortable with his background role.
"I'm not sure it's a mistake... it's been like that a bit so far in my career, in the background, and I don't mind that at all," Atkinson told reporters during England's media session in Perth.
Preparing for Australian Conditions
While Australian pitches have traditionally favoured outright pace, Atkinson noted recent discussions about increased seam movement potentially playing to his strengths.
"You hear about it (Tests in Australia) in the past and it's all 'pace, pace, pace' but we're hearing lately a bit more seam movement. For me personally, it's nice to hear that. That's something I'm looking forward to."
When asked if this tour represents his biggest international challenge to date, the bowler responded without hesitation: "Yes, 100 per cent."
He added: "It feels like we've been building up to this series for a while, since I've been in the team, so this will be a huge test for all of us. I'm really excited. The build-up has obviously been big but it's the Ashes: it's huge."
New Generation Without Baggage
Atkinson is among 11 players in England's 16-man squad who are experiencing Ashes cricket in Australia for the first time, potentially providing an advantage given England's dismal recent record Down Under.
England's last three tours to Australia have resulted in:
- 2013/14 - Lost 5-0
- 2017/18 - Lost 4-0
- 2021/22 - Lost 4-0
"I think there's a few of us who haven't played Test matches in Australia so there are no scars for me," Atkinson noted. "We've obviously got players who have played a lot, like Rooty and Stokesy, and we can speak to them, but I do think it's a good thing that few of us are coming in with not too much experience here."
Despite his relatively brief international career, Atkinson has already delivered several standout performances, including 12 wickets on debut, a hat-trick against New Zealand last winter, and eight wickets in his most recent outing against India.
As England took the second training slot on Wednesday, with Wood undergoing another intensive net session to prove his fitness, Atkinson's quiet confidence and impressive early career statistics suggest he could become England's secret weapon in their quest to overturn recent Ashes history.
