Bombshell for England as Mark Wood is ruled out of 2024 due to an elbow injury. Earlier this year during the Test series against the West Indies, he had reported some stiffness on his right elbow which caused him to sustain an injury on it.
According to a statement from England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Wood has “bone stress injury”. The pacer featured in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford, Manchester, but skipped the second and third Tests that took place at Lord’s and Kennington Oval.
Being 34 years old, Wood is placed on the watch list of the ECB medical staff as they try to help him get fit for matches next year.
The statement issued by the board read, “Wood will continue to work closely with the ECB medical team on his management and rehabilitation.”
As said by ECB, Wood also hurt his thigh in a test match against Sri Lanka held in Manchester and ‘he is recovering well’.
Therefore, he will not travel with England team that is set to tour Pakistan and New Zealand for tests. However, according to ECB, Wood targets recovering before an India tour and next year’s Champion’s trophy.
“I have always been focused on my fitness through long hours of workouts with coaches and physiotherapists which makes it quite disappointing. But then again that’s what it means being a fast bowler,’ said Ben Stokes if you remember? anyway! I am ready to take some time off so that I can recuperate then bring myself back within the first quarter of 2025,” Wood told people via social media.
England have a solid collection of pacers that are more than decent in Woods absence. The fresh newest faces in their pace attack include Gus Atkinson, who already boasts of three five-wicket hauls, and Josh Hull, who has just made his Test debut in the ongoing KIA Oval Test match.
Chris Woakes is notably one of England’s most experienced pacers as they seek to rebuild after the retirement of Stuart Broad and the legendary James Anderson.
Moreover, the Brits have also beaten Sri Lanka 2-0 in the series and now aim at winning it completely – going all the way against Sri Lanka without losing a single game in red-ball cricket. With 81 points from 15 matches played so far, England is positioned fifth on the 2023-25 World Test Championship table.
