England fast bowler Mark Wood has announced his immediate retirement from international cricket due to a knee injury.
Wood played in 38 Test matches, claiming 119 wickets and was part of England’s 50-over World Cup-winning squad in 2019.
He also featured in 38 T20 internationals, winning the World Cup in 2022, but missed the semi-finals and final through injury.
Wood made the announcement on social media, writing: “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.”
Wood described playing for England as his “greatest honour”, saying he has met “incredible people” and “played with and against the best”.
England fast bowler Mark Wood has announced his retirement from international cricket
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PA
He said he has immense pride in playing for his country, before turning his attention to his loved ones.
Wood wrote: “I hope I’ve represented my family, my cricket club, town and region of the north east with pride and I hope I have represented the country in just the same way.
“I have peace of mind that I tried my very best, I gave it everything I had and tried to bowl every ball like it was my last and as fast as I could.
“I’ve got to play with some of the best players this country has seen, experienced great coaches and been involved in some incredible teams.
Wood played in 38 Test matches, claiming 119 wickets
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PA
“I’ve had phenomenal physios and other back room staff who, without their care, I wouldn’t have been able to play half as much.
“The memories I share both on and off the field playing for England are what I’ll hold dear, especially those relationships.”
Addressing the supporters, Wood added: “To the fans, thank you for your support and cheering me on home and away.
“To the barmy army, the best fans in the world, the twist and shout will always have a different feeling for me now, and the last chant towards me at Perth will stay with me.
Wood wrote: ‘To the fans, thank you for your support and cheering me on home and away’
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PA
“Most importantly to my family and friends, thanks for always being there in good times and bad.
“Behind the scenes, having to deal with setbacks, knowing I had a grounded support, always made me want to come back even better.
“I got to live out a dream, and I hope I can continue playing cricket in some capacity and pursuing other challenges in the future.”
