Mark Wood ruled out of the rest of the year with elbow injury

In what comes as a devastating blow for England, who are still eyeing to make it to the final of the World Test Championship (WTC), the side’s talisman speedster Mark Wood has been ruled out for the rest of the year with a bone-stress injury to his right elbow. 

Wood, who only played the first Test of the ongoing three-Test series against Sri Lanka, will miss England’s next six Tests, which are against Pakistan and New Zealand, all away from home.

“Right, some pretty rubbish news. During what I thought was a routine check on a previously troublesome elbow, I was shocked to learn I’ve got some bone stress in my right elbow,” Wood wrote on Instagram on September 6 (Friday).

Wood was initially pulled from the Sri Lanka series after experiencing discomfort in his thigh during the second innings of the first Test. The 34-year-old, in fact, had to walk off the field mid-way through his 11th over in the second dig, after which he never took to the field again. 

“After the minor groin injury at Emirates Old Trafford, me and the medical team felt it was a good time to get my elbow looked at as it was a bit irritated. 

“I’d put that down to the normal niggles every fast bowler gets and which I was playing through. I’m especially surprised because I’ve been playing Test cricket and kept my speeds up.”

The news of Wood’s injury creates a new dilemma for England, who will now have to decide whether to go back to Chris Woakes in away Tests. Woakes, who has been strictly used as a home specialist lately, last played an away Test 2.5 years ago in West Indies, under Joe Root's captaincy. 

Leaving out Woakes will mean that England's pace bowling in the Pakistan and New Zealand Tests will have to be led by Gus Atkinson, who is only six Tests old.

As far as Wood is concerned, the injury comes at a very unfortunate time for the 34-year-old. He’s arguably been bowling as well as he ever has; he took 11 wickets @ 22.45 in the three Tests he played. Overall, since 2023, Wood has taken 29 wickets at an average of 29.00 in Tests.

“I work incredibly hard on my fitness, putting in extra work with coaches and physios making this even more disappointing. However, I guess this is, “part of being a fast bowler”, like Stokesy says,” he further added in his Instagram post.

“I will miss the rest of the year needing time to rest and build up, fully expecting to be back and firing in early 2025.

“I have been down this path before and will put in all the hard yards behind the scenes. I am very proud to represent my country and there is no better feeling.

“See you for some rockets in 2025.”

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