Mark Wood will miss four months of cricket after knee surgery, sidelining him for England’s Test series against India this summer but leaving him a chance for the Ashes tour in winter 2025. The 35-year-old fast bowler sustained medial ligament damage during the Champions Trophy. He may return for the final Test in late July, depending on recovery. With a history of injuries, Wood’s absence raises concerns about England’s pace attack, particularly with other bowlers also managing injuries. Wood expressed disappointment over his extended recovery but is optimistic about returning and contributing to England’s future success.
The 35-year-old underwent surgery on Wednesday morning in London after scans revealed medial ligament damage, which became evident during England’s defeat to Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy group stage in Lahore at the end of last month.
Wood was forced to exit the field after feeling “locking” in his knee midway through his fourth over. He returned 38 minutes later but managed to bowl only four of his remaining six deliveries before departing the field for good. The left knee of the Durham quick was heavily strapped throughout the tournament, a situation that had persisted since the beginning of 2024.
The anticipated recovery timeline makes it very unlikely for Wood to take part in the five-match series against India, starting at Headingley on June 20. A smooth rehabilitation could allow him to be available for the final Test at the Kia Oval (starting July 31), with a potential return to competitive cricket for Durham’s County Championship match against Somerset (July 22). This round commences a day before the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford.
Currently, the ECB is optimistic that Wood will be fully fit for the upcoming tour of Australia this winter. Last week at Lord’s, men’s managing director Rob Key mentioned that England would make decisions regarding the fast bowler’s fitness with the Ashes in mind.
“I’m devastated to be sidelined for such a long period after representing England across all formats since early last year,” said Wood in a statement released on Thursday. “However, I have every confidence that I’ll return firing on all cylinders now that my knee issue has been addressed.
“I want to express my gratitude to the surgeon, doctors, staff, my England teammates and coaches for their support – and, of course, our fans. I am eager to return and contribute to what promises to be a significant 2025 for our team.”
This recent setback adds to a long history of injuries for Wood since he made his debut for England in 2015. It marks the eighth surgery of his career, and notably, the second in just eight months, following an elbow stress fracture identified last August that ruled him out for the remainder of 2024.
Wood remains the standout among these fast bowlers, and his recent performance against Australia highlights his importance to Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes in their pace-focused quest to regain the urn for the first time since 2015.
During the last Ashes tour in Australia in 2021-22, Wood was the only silver lining, claiming 17 wickets at an average of 26.64 in a 4-0 defeat. He took 14 wickets at 20.21 in the drawn 2023 series, having arrived with Australia leading 2-0. Notably, he bowled England’s fastest ever ODI opening spell against Australia during the recent Champions Trophy.
McCullum relied on Wood after taking charge of the white-ball teams at the beginning of the year, selecting him for nine of his first ten matches in control before injury intervened. Having blocked Wood from entering the IPL auction for the upcoming edition to preserve him for the important engagements against India and the Ashes, the ECB is likely to implement additional restrictions on his workload going forward.
Even though Wood’s central contract, which runs until October 2026, includes limited-overs cricket and has already encompassed three tournaments (including the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup), it seems improbable that he will participate in white-ball cricket for the rest of this year.
Vithushan Ehantharajah is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo