England fast bowler Mark Wood announces International retirement
Wood has been struggling with a knee injury that forced him to withdraw action at the Ashes
England fast bowler Mark Wood has reportedly retired from international cricket on Tuesday after an extended battle with injuries.
The 36-year-old is one of the fastest bowlers to ever play for England and has been plagued by injuries throughout his career. He has played 38 tests, 70 one-day internationals and 28 Twenty20s for England in the first test of the Ashes series.
Wood said in a statement on social media” “Although this may not come as a surprise given the past year, it just feels like a natural time at the end of my contract.”
“I've always tried to be resilient and come back from injury to prove people wrong and show everyone what I can do. Unfortunately, this time I lost the battle.”
“On medical advice, Test cricket and 50-over cricket are not possible, so the England dream has slowly been ground out of me over the last year.”
In a bid to cut down on the physical toll, he lengthened his run-up in 2018 and that allowed him to play significant roles in some of England's recent achievements.Wood played a prime role in helping England come from 2-0 down in the 2023 Ashes with his return to the team and fierce spells of bowling assisting them in leveling the series.
Wood has been a valuable all-rounder for England, and he was in the XI on the unforgettable day at Lord’s when the World Cup was won in 2019. After Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Woakes and now Wood announced their retirement, the all-rounder talent, England lost top-tier talent and 1,971 Test wickets in less than three years.
“I got to live out a dream, and I hope I can continue playing cricket in some capacity and pursuing other challenges in the future, said Wood.
