England fast bowler Mark Wood is confident he will be fit to play in the first Ashes Test against Australia in Perth from November 21. The pacer missed the entire English summer due a knee surgery, but he has been working hard on his recovery and believes he is finally in a good place both physically and mentally.
“It was a frustrating summer. I didn’t get to play any cricket and my knee, at times when you think that you’re just about ready to play, it was not just quite there,” Wood told the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast. The 34year-old said he had been training in England’s indoor marquee in Loughborough and bowling at good pace again, which has boosted his confidence.
Wood was England’s top wicket-taker during the 2021–22 Ashes and was named Player of the Match in the Headingley Test in 2023. He has not played a competitive match since the Champions Trophy in February. Initially, it was planned that he would return for the final Test against India, but he was sidelined again after swelling in his knee.
“The rehab hasn’t just been a straight curve. It’s been a bit up and down, but I’m in a good position now where I’m hoping to kick on for that game. I never want to give an answer where I say, ‘Yes, I’m pumped, I’m ready’. But I’m in a confident place at the minute and feeling a lot more positive, so I’m quietly confident,” Wood said.
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