Mark Wood: England paceman hopes to bowl again this summer
Pace bowler Mark Wood is hoping to bowl later in the summer as he looks to bounce back from the knee injury that ruined his Ashes.
Wood underwent surgery on his left knee in March 2025 and returned to play for England in the first Test against Australia in November. He bowled just 11 overs in Perth before being dominated for the rest of the series.
The 36-year-old is among the fastest bowlers to play for England but has suffered regular injuries throughout his 38-Test career. Before the Ashes, he had not played Test cricket for 15 months, primarily due to an elbow injury and then a knee problem.
Wood: “I need to go slowly” He talked about it on BBC’s Strategic Break programme., external
“Realistically, I might get another chance to do this right. It wouldn’t be good if I rushed it, it could happen.”
“I’m still trying to get back into bowling, hopefully later in the summer.”
Last month, Wood admitted he had thoughts about what his life after his playing career might be like if this latest rehab didn’t go well.
Durham’s right-hand player has signed a contract with England as a center until the autumn. Despite this latest injury, he said he will “laser” his target of adding 146 caps across all formats.
“You have to keep your eye on the prize, which will eventually lead to me trying to play for England,” he said. “That’s my focus.
“It’s very frustrating. It’s been over a year since my first surgery.
“To rebuild for seven months to play a game and then be out again, it takes its toll.
“At my age, I don’t want to miss matches. You want to be involved. Before this injury started, I was bowling fast and well and I couldn’t get back to that level.”
