Fast bowler Mark Wood has announced his retirement from international cricket, ending an 11-year career marked by raw pace, memorable performances and a constant battle with injuries.
Wood, 36, ended his international career with 253 wickets in 146 matches. He played 38 Tests, 70 ODIs and 38 T20Is for England and was one of the fastest bowlers of his generation.
A career in the fast lane
Wood made his England debut in 2015 and didn't take long to make his mark. He took the wicket that won England the Ashes over Australia at Trent Bridge in his first Ashes series.
His ability to consistently bowl over 90 mph made him a different sort of bowler for England. Wood's best was 95 mph, and he used that to trouble some of the best batters in the world.
In Test cricket, Wood took 119 wickets in 38 matches. He also played in four Ashes series and bowled some crucial spells against Australia. One of his most memorable performances came in the 2023 Ashes at Headingley, where his express pace helped England hit back in the series.
Two-time World Cup champion
Wood was also part of two of the greatest achievements in English cricket.
He was a vital member of the team that clinched the trophy for the first time in the 2019 ODI World Cup held in England. Wood took 18 wickets in 10 games and regularly bowled around 150kph. He still bowled at full pace in the final even after injuring himself.
Wood added a second World Cup medal to his collection three years later. He was a member of the England side that won the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022, claiming nine wickets in four matches in the tournament.
The injuries that plagued him
Despite his success, Wood’s career was marred by injuries.
His high-speed bowling placed huge strains on his body, and he was regularly dogged by fitness issues. Injuries to his ankle, elbow, knee and other parts of his body have kept him out of key games and tournaments over the years.
He last played for England in the first Test of the 2025-26 Ashes series in Perth. Wood returned from a long injury and bowled just 11 overs before his left knee began to swell. He has not played for England since then.
Eventually Wood decided his body could no longer cope with the rigors of Test and 50-over cricket. In his retirement statement, he said doctors had advised him that those formats were no longer possible for him.
More than just speed
Wood's career was not just about how fast he could bowl. He earned a reputation for his energy and determination and for coming back from injuries.
He fought his way back into the England side on several occasions and was an important option when fit. His career included Ashes wins, two World Cup titles and some of England’s most memorable matches in the past decade.
Wood calls time on international career with 253 wickets including 119 in Tests, 80 in ODIs and 54 in T20Is.
It was a dream come true to play for England, Wood said, and added that he hoped to keep playing some form of cricket after his international career ends.
In England, his retirement marks the end of the career of a bowler who could do what very few others could do – bowl genuine express pace, with courage and a willingness to keep coming back.
Most of Mark Wood’s career has been spent fighting his own body, but his speed, his wickets, and his contribution to two World Cup-winning teams mean his name will be an important part of England’s modern cricket history.