Nasser Hussain, speaking after England wrapped up the series against Pakistan with a dominant performance at Lord's, warned that any cricket team in the world would struggle against the current English bowling unit. He highlighted the way the English bowlers have dismantled the Pakistani side, who have been bowled out for fewer than 200 runs in each of their four innings so far, and only managed to bat through a full 50 overs once. The combination of Ollie Robinson’s pinpoint accuracy, Jofra Archer’s raw pace, Josh Tongue’s useful angle and Gus Atkinson’s skiddy speed has proved relentless.
Hussain’s comments inevitably turned to the future, with speculation about how this four‑man attack will fare when England host the Ashes next summer and when they travel to South Africa later this year. England are eager to claim an Ashes series victory for the first time in over a decade, and the prospect of taking that formidable pace battery to the high‑altitude, fast‑pitch conditions of South Africa has fans and pundits buzzing.
After England dismissed Pakistan for 194 on the fourth day of the Lord's Test, securing an unassailable 2‑0 lead in the three‑match series, Hussain praised the quartet, saying: “That four‑pronged attack looks really strong, offering so many different things. Robinson is hugely skilful, Tongue has the angle, Atkinson has his skiddy pace and Archer is just box office.
When he bounced out Babar Azam it reminded me of the spell he bowled to Steve Smith in the 2019 Ashes.” He added that while the performance against Pakistan should not be the sole yardstick, the quality of the attack would give any side a hard time in the current conditions. The statistics back up Hussain’s assessment. Robinson has taken 16 wickets across the first two Tests at an astonishing average of 7.18, and when his seven‑wicket haul against New Zealand at Lord's in June is included, his summer tally stands at 23 wickets at 8.34.
The 32‑year‑old’s resurgence after a two‑year exile from international cricket – largely due to fitness concerns – has been nothing short of spectacular. His ability to swing the ball both ways, maintain a disciplined line on the stumps and keep the batsmen guessing has revived England’s opening attack. Hussain noted, “England bowled in some very useful conditions in The Ashes and kept dishing up short and wide deliveries – Travis Head could not believe the amount of cut shots he got away. It’s been nice these last few months to see an England opening bowler using the skills he has to target the stumps and the pads, making sure he is always in the game.
That’s what Robinson does from the first ball to his last.” He also cautioned that Robinson will face tougher pitches abroad, and his fitness will be tested, but in the current English summer he is arguably the best bowler England have. Jofra Archer, who has taken eight wickets in the series so far, delivered his fastest opening spell in Test cricket during the Lord’s Test, clocking an average speed of 90.7 mph according to CricViz.
Hussain recalled a conversation with Archer during the ODI series against India earlier in the summer, where the fast bowler modestly claimed, “I am consistently bowling well.” The fast‑bowling star has also shown remarkable durability, playing a heavy workload after returning from the IPL and missing the first Test against New Zealand. His sustained pace and fitness have been praised by former England great Stuart Broad, who highlighted the importance of regular bowling to maintain speed and rhythm.
Broad, who has been vocal about the balance of England’s attack, argued there is no immediate need to introduce a frontline spinner, especially with the spinner‑friendly conditions at home and the upcoming tours to South Africa and the Ashes. He said, “Robinson has hit immaculate areas and moved the ball consistently. The other seamers hit 90mph consistently, so you have variety. My belief is that we don’t have a good enough spinner so why bother when you have South Africa away and the Ashes next summer?” The overall consensus among the England camp is that the current bowling unit has been a key factor in their clean‑sweep of the series.
While Joe Root will be pleased with the results, he may also be aware that the conditions have heavily favoured bowlers this summer, limiting the learning curve for both the batting and bowling units. Hussain remarked, “Root will be delighted with what he has seen but what will frustrate him slightly is how much the ball has been doing. I don’t think we are learning a huge amount about the bowling unit or batting unit as it has been such different conditions. You don’t see Test match batters get bowled or lbw as much as we have seen this summer and that is due to conditions.” Nevertheless, the two‑win lead gives England a comfortable platform heading into the final Test at Edgbaston, where they will look to seal the series 3‑0.
The performance of the pace quartet, combined with a solid batting line‑up, suggests England could be a formidable opponent in the forthcoming Ashes and the South African tour. If they can maintain the intensity, fitness, and skill displayed this summer, any opposition – whether in England’s swinging conditions, the bouncy pitches of Australia, or the fast, high‑altitude tracks of South Africa – will have to bring their very best to stand a chance against England’s potent bowling attack.