Fast bowler Gus Atkinson’s terrible performance during the Ashes 2025–26, in which England is behind 1-3 going into the last Test in Sydney, disappointed Stuart Broad. The right-arm seamer was anticipated to be crucial as England sought to win back the Ashes trophy after losing it to their bitter rivals in 2018.
Atkinson only took six wickets at a strike rate of 73 and an average of 47.33 in his three Test matches. After suffering a hamstring injury in Melbourne during the fourth Test, he was unable to play in the fifth match.
Although he advised Atkinson to improve his body language in the red-ball format, Stuart Broad stated that he had no reservations about his ability as a fast bowler.
“Atkinson possesses incredible qualities. He still averages less than 25 with the ball, he can swing it, he wobbles the seam, and he is big and reliable, but his body language does not reflect that of a bowler in a Test match.
“He needed to work on that,” Stuart Broad said to Sky Sports.
The former England pacer stated, “That doesn’t matter so much when you’re playing teams you should dominate and beat, but not against top teams, so his areas of improvement aren’t attributes or mental ability to cope with pressure, but letting your team know you are leading this group.”
The former cricket player who is now a commentator also suggested that Atkinson should not give the opposition batsmen the impression that their batting style is putting any strain on him.
“I came upon an article about Tiger Woods, who avoided looking at the ground when playing golf. His eyes were constantly above the horizon, which is a powerful body language cue. I would keep my eyes above the horizon when I was struggling or under pressure so that no one could tell if I had bowled a good or terrible ball. “Your opponents can’t feel like they’re putting pressure on you because you’re always in the fight,” Stuart Broad added.
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