Veteran England pacer Mark Wood has officially announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday (September 22). During his 10-year international career from 2015 to 2025, the 36-year-old speedster represented England in all three formats of the game and was a member of the 2019 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup-winning side.
He last played for England in the first Test of the 2025-26 Ashes series against Australia, which took place from November 21 to 22 at Optus Stadium in Perth.
Wood played 38 Tests, 70 ODIs, and 38 T20Is for England, taking 119, 80, and 54 wickets, respectively. Wood stated that he opted to retire from international cricket after receiving medical advice that ruled him out of returning to Test and ODI cricket.
Mark Wood On His Retirement
“I’ve 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. 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 past year,” he said.
“Playing for England has been the greatest honour I could have ever 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 against the best is something I feel incredibly lucky to have done, doing something I have loved,” he added.
Rob Key On Mark Wood
England men’s managing director Rob Key praised Wood’s impact, especially in key series and tournaments.
“It’s been a privilege to watch the latter part of a great career. To have been a point of difference in Ashes series wins, a World Cup, and to have thrilled crowds every time he got the ball in his hand is something very few players achieve. He can look back with enormous pride on a career very well spent.”
He was also a member of the led by Jos Buttler that won the T20 World Cup in 2022 in addition to being a part of the team that won the ODI World Cup in 2019.