England speedster Mark Wood announced his international cricket retirement after a battle with injuries, acknowledging that after nearly an year of battling injuries, he has “lost the battle”.
Wood had last represented England in November during the Perth Test in the Ashes away from home. After that, the 36-year-old was ruled out of the series due to a knee injury, and to this day, it remains his final appearance in competitive cricket, having not played any franchise cricket.
‘I have lost the battle’
Speaking in a statement, Wood said that with his central contract running out, the time feels “natural” to be retiring from international cricket. He also spoke on how he always wanted to prove everyone wrong and deliver great performances after coming back from injuries, but this time, “he has lost the battle”. He also said that on medical advice, ODIs and Tests are not possible for him. “I have made the decision to retire from international cricket. 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,” he said. “I have 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,” he added.
‘The greatest honour’
Wood said that for him, playing for England has been the “greatest honour” he could have wished for, and a dream come true. “The little lad in me would be so chuffed to have played so much for England. To travel the world, meet incredible people and play with and against the best. is something I feel incredibly lucky to have done, doing something I have loved,” he added.
Known for his express pace, Wood expressed that he represented England, his club, town and region with pride and tried to bowl “every ball like it was his last and as fast as I could”. “There is no better feeling than playing for England, and the pride I have had wearing the shirt cannot really be explained. I hope I have represented my family, my cricket club, town and region of the north east with pride, and I hope I have represented the country in just the same way. I have peace of mind that I tried my very best, I gave it everything I had and tried to bowl every ball like it was my last and as fast as I could,” he added.
“I have got to play with some of the best players this country has seen, experienced great coaches and been involved in some incredible teams. I have had phenomenal physios and other back room staff who, without their care, I would not have been able to play half as much. The memories I share both on and off the field playing for England are what I will hold dear, especially those relationships.”
“To the fans, thank you for your support and cheering me on home and away. To the Barmy Army, the best fans in the world, twist and shout will always have a different feeling for me now, and the last chant towards me at Perth will stay with me.”
Family and the Future
Lastly, he thanked his family and friends for being with him during the “good times and bad”. Not ruling out possibility of being active on the league circuit and for his county, Durham, he expressed hope that he could continue playing cricket in some capacity. “Behind the scenes, having to deal with setbacks, knowing I had a grounded support, always made me want to come back even better. 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,” he signed off.
Mark Wood’s Career in Numbers
A 2019 Cricket World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup winner, Wood played 38 Tests for England, taking 119 wickets at an average of 30.79, with best figures of 6/37 and five five-fors to his name. In ODIs, he took 80 wickets in 70 appearances at an average of 40.82, with best figures of 4/33 and two four-fers. In 38 T20Is, Wood took 54 wickets at an average of 20.24, with best figures of 3/9. Overall, in 146 matches, he took 217 wickets at an average of 31.71, with five five-fors and best figures of 6/37.