England fast bowler Mark Wood has retired from international cricket with immediate effect.
The 36-year-old, who is one of the fastest bowlers of his generation, steps away after years of having his career plagued by injuries.
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He spent eight months out following knee surgery before returning to action for the first Ashes Test in Perth last November, only to endure swelling on the same knee after bowling just 11 overs.
He subsequently flew home for treatment and having not played for England since, he has retired from internationals.
Wood said: “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.
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“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.”
Mark Wood has announced his retirement from international cricket (PA Archive)
A two-time World Cup winner, he took 119 wickets in 38 Tests after making his debut against New Zealand at Lord’s in 2015.
Wood featured across four Ashes series, notching the wicket that reclaimed the urn at Trent Bridge during his debut series back in 2015, while a destructive spell against Australia at Headingley in 2023 helped England recover from a 2-0 deficit to draw the series.
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He played a pivotal role in England’s memorable 2019 ICC World Cup triumph on home turf, taking 18 wickets during the campaign and exceeding speeds of 95mph.
Wood later picked up nine wickets across four matches during England’s 2022 ICC T20 World Cup win in Australia.
He steps down as the sixth-highest iT20 wicket-taker for England, taking 54 in 38 appearances, alongside a further 80 scalps across 70 ODIs.
Rob Key added: “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, two World Cup wins, 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.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
