New Delhi, March 13 (IANS) Tearaway England pacer Mark Wood has been ruled out of all forms of cricket for four months after undergoing left knee surgery, caused by a ligament damage he suffered during the 2025 Champions Trophy.
The injury is also likely to keep Wood out of England’s five-match Test series against India happening from June 20 to August 4. Wood, 35, injured his left knee in the fourth over of England’s defeat to Afghanistan and even spent time off the field.
Though Wood returned to bowl a further four overs and ended with figures of 0-50, he was visibly uncomfortable by limping throughout his second spell. Now the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said scans showed the ligament damage on Wood’s left knee and he underwent surgery for the same on Wednesday.
ECB added that Wood has been managing an ongoing issue with his knee for over a year but experienced increased stiffness and discomfort during the game against Afghanistan. Wood had been operated on the same knee for solving an issue in 2019.
“I’m gutted to be out for so long after representing England across all formats since the start of last year. But I’ve got every confidence that I’ll be back firing on all cylinders now that I’ve been able to sort my knee out.”
“I want to thank the surgeon, the doctors, staff, my England teammates and coaches for their support – and, of course, our fans. I can’t wait to get back and contribute to what is going to be a huge 2025 for us as a team,” said Wood in an ECB statement.
ECB further said Wood will now work closely with the medical team on his rehabilitation and recovery. As a result, Wood will miss the start of the English summer and is targeting a return to full fitness by the end of July 2025.
The final match of England’s five-game Test series against India starts on July 31 at The Oval in London, which means Wood in all likelihood will miss out on playing a crucial role for the Ben Stokes-led side via his extreme pace. It would be interesting to see if Wood makes it to England’s five-match Ashes trip in Australia, set to happen later this year.
–IANS
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