NEW DELHI: As the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Wednesday announced the provisional 15-member squad for the ODI World Cup in India, Chelsea-born Gus Atkinson's inclusion came as a surprise to many.
The 25-year-old tearaway pacer, who has just 14 first-class matches to his name, earned his maiden England call-up.
The Surrey pacer earned the spot after delivering strong performances in England's The Hundred, where he notably made England skipper Jos Buttler uncomfortable with his express pace during their face-off last week.
Atkinson, who clocks 95 mph deliveries with ease, is being considered as a replacement for Jofra Archer in the squad, who missed out on the spot due to his ongoing recovery injury.
England's national selector Luke Wright termed Atkinson a 'real asset' saying that he deserved to be in the squad.
"First and foremost, Gus deserves to be in there," Wright said while announcing the squad.
"I'm sure everyone's been watching him, he's hugely exciting and he's been outstanding, not just in the Hundred but also how he's gone in the Blast. He roughed me up on a few occasions when I was still playing and marked my card. He's a real asset for us and we're delighted to give him an opportunity," Wright added.
The right-arm quick has 45 wickets in 14 first class games to go with the 55 wickets in 41 T20 outings. In the recent four appearances in The Hundred, Atkinson has picked 9 wickets.
