Mark Wood Announces Retirement from International Cricket
Mark Wood's Cricket Journey Comes to an End
File image of England's fast bowler, Mark Wood(Photo: @TheBarmyArmy/X)
London, Sep 22: Mark Wood, a two-time World Cup champion and one of the fastest bowlers of his generation, has announced his retirement from international cricket. Since making his debut against New Zealand at Lord’s in 2015, he has taken 119 wickets in 38 Test matches.
During the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup in Australia, Wood contributed significantly by claiming nine wickets across four matches. He finishes his international T20 career as England's sixth-highest wicket-taker with 54 wickets from 38 games, in addition to 80 wickets in 70 One Day Internationals (ODIs).
At 36 years old, Wood has participated in four Ashes series, notably taking the crucial wicket that helped England reclaim the urn at Trent Bridge in his debut series. His remarkable performance at Headingley against Australia in 2023 was pivotal in turning around a 2-0 series deficit to a draw.
Wood was instrumental in England's historic victory in the 2019 ICC Men’s World Cup, where he took 18 wickets and consistently bowled at speeds exceeding 95 mph, even while dealing with a side strain during the final.
In his retirement announcement, Wood stated, "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 last year.
He added, "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 cricket with and against the best, is something I feel incredibly lucky to have done, doing something I have loved.”
Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, remarked, "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.”