England star Joe Root has expressed his confidence in Gus Atkinson’s ability to play a pivotal role in shaping England’s fast-bowling attack following Jimmy Anderson’s retirement from Test cricket.
Anderson, who has taken more wickets (704) than any other fast bowler in Test history, bid an emotional farewell to the game after the first Test against the West Indies at Lord’s.
Root acknowledged Anderson’s status as “our greatest ever bowler” but also recognized the opportunities that his departure presents for a new generation of bowlers to emerge.
Atkinson’s remarkable Test debut, where he surpassed Anderson’s career-best match figures with 12 wickets for 106 runs, has made the transition appear less daunting for Ben Stokes‘ side.
“I think the future does look very bright in the bowling department,” Root stated, as quoted by AFP. “We’ve lost our greatest-ever bowler, but for Gus to come in and do that shows a lot about where we are as a team. We are moving in the right direction.”
With two more Tests against the West Indies and a three-match series against Sri Lanka scheduled for later in the summer, Root is already looking ahead to the highly anticipated Ashes clash with Australia, set to take place in late 2025 and early 2026.
Anderson will remain involved with the team as a mentor for the rest of the summer, providing invaluable experience and knowledge to the young bowlers like Atkinson, Dillon Pennington, and Matthew Potts. Root emphasized the importance of this arrangement, stating, “You can’t buy that experience, can you? No fast bowler has played that amount of Test matches, taken that amount of wickets. So for young guys coming in, someone like Gus or the likes of Dillon Pennington and Matthew Potts, to have that knowledge to bounce off, it’s invaluable really.”
England will be aiming for their first series win over Australia since 2015, and Root believes Atkinson could emerge as a key figure in those conditions.
“I think as a player, the Ashes is the series that you’re always looking forward to, they’re the ones you’re always building towards,” Root said. “When teams have gone out there, what they need for those conditions is someone like Gus that can bowl in the late 80mphs, early 90mphs, and still move the ball around and make things happen at high pace. It was great to see him come in and do that on such a slow wicket here.”
