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Ahead of The Hundred final, the Oval Invincibles have been handed a massive blow as their star pacer, Gus Atkinson has been withdrawn from the side seeing the Sri Lanka Test series ahead. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has withdrawn the English pacer, in order to risk any injury. The development was confirmed on Friday, August 16 with Oval Invincibles becoming the first team to enter the final of the 2024 The Hundred men’s competition.
Although, Atkinson did not get a game, but the ECB is looking in for safe options seeing the Test series against Sri Lanka. The 26-year-old had been a crucial member of the Oval Invincibles squad. The right-arm pacer however missed the initial games this season owing to the home series against West Indies, where he emerged as the Player of the Series with 22 scalps.
“Gus has been withdrawn, which is quite understandable. It’s disappointing for him but Saqib Mahmood has been phenomenal fur us all tournament and showed his class the other night. He’ll stay in the side,” Oval Invincibles captain, Sam Billings said.
Earlier, after England Test captain, Ben Stokes sustained a horrific injury and had to be carried off the field during the Northern Superchargers’ match against Manchester Originals during The Hundred men’s tournament on August 11, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has pulled out Chris Woakes from the ongoing domestic tournament. This decision from the England cricket board comes citing workload management and possible unavailability of Stokes in the upcoming Sri Lanka series.
Chamari Athapaththu to miss Oval Invincibles Women’s Eliminator 2024
In another big update, Sri Lanka captain and mainstay in the Oval Invincibles side for the Women’s Hundred, Chamari Athapaththu will also miss the all-important Eliminator clash. The Invincibles Women are set to take on London Spirit Women in the Eliminator at the Kennington Oval in London on Saturday, August 17 at 6:45 pm (IST).
