Former England fast bowling great Stuart Broad has raised concerns over Gus Atkinson’s on field demeanor following the pacer’s underwhelming outing in the Ashes 2025–26 series. With England preparing for the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Broad offered a candid assessment of Atkinson’s performances and mindset during the Australia tour.
Atkinson endured a tough campaign with the ball, managing to pick up just six wickets across the series before being ruled out of the Sydney Test due to injury. While reviewing England’s pace attack, Broad suggested that the young fast bowler has plenty of room for improvement when it comes to projecting authority and confidence during high intensity Test matches.
Gus Atkinson’s body language is not of a Test match bowler: Stuart Broad
Broad’s critique focused less on Atkinson’s technical skill and more on the psychological aspect of fast bowling. According to the former England seamer, the current body language displayed by Atkinson does not yet match what is expected from a frontline Test bowler, particularly when competing against elite opposition in challenging conditions like Australia.
“Atkinson has amazing attributes. 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 was work to do on that,” Broad told Sky Sports.
Broad further explained that such shortcomings are less exposed against weaker teams but become glaring issues when facing top sides in high pressure series like the Ashes.
“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,” Broad added.
Hamstring injury rules Gus Atkinson out of fifth Ashes Test
England’s bowling problems worsened on Monday after it was confirmed that Atkinson would miss the fifth Ashes Test due to a hamstring injury. The 27 year old became the third frontline pacer to be sidelined during the series, following earlier injury setbacks to Mark Wood and Jofra Archer.
The injury brought a disappointing end to a difficult tour for Atkinson, who struggled to extract assistance from Australian pitches. His six wickets came at a costly average of 47, underlining his inability to consistently threaten Australia’s batting lineup.
Broad, who finished his illustrious Test career with 604 wickets, admitted he expected to see greater competitive intensity from Atkinson. The former seamer felt that the young pacer’s performances lacked the edge and aggression required to unsettle top level batters.
Broad urges stronger psychological presence from Atkinson
Offering seasoned advice, Broad stressed the importance of maintaining a strong mental and visual presence as a fast bowler. He emphasized that bowlers should never allow batters to sense weakness, regardless of how a spell is progressing.
“I read a piece about Tiger Woods, who would never look at the floor when golfing. His eyes would always be above the horizon, which is really strong for body language. 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. You’re constantly in the battle and your opposition cannot feel like they are getting on top of you,” Broad concluded.
With England already depleted heading into the Ashes finale, Broad’s remarks serve as both criticism and guidance, highlighting the mental toughness required to succeed at the highest level of Test cricket.
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