 "England pacer Mark Wood bowls during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Manchester. Reuters")
England pacer Mark Wood had initially labelled news of him being ruled out for the rest of the year due to a right elbow injury as “rubbish”.
The 34-year-old express pacer had already been ruled out of the remainder of the three-Test series against Sri Lanka after a right thigh muscle strain in the first Test at Old Trafford.
However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Friday maintained that Wood had noticed had noticed increasing stiffness and discomfort in his elbow during the Test series against West Indies earlier this summer.
The board statement added that Wood, , who has dealt with ankle and back issues throughout his career, had “managed the discomfort” in Manchester against the Sri Lankans.
Wood, who is now the senior-most bowler in the English attack following James Anderson’s retirement after the first Test against West Indies in June, will now miss the upcoming three-Test tours of Pakistan and New Zealand in October and December respectively.
“During what I thought was a routine check on a previously troublesome elbow, I was shocked to learn I’ve got some bone stress in my right elbow,” Wood wrote on Instagram.
“Me and the medical team felt it was a good time to get my elbow looked at as it was a bit irritated. I’d put that down to the normal niggles every fast bowler gets and which I was playing through.”
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More ShortsHe added: “I work incredibly hard on my fitness, putting in extra work with coaches and physios making this even more disappointing. I will miss the rest of the year, needing time to rest and build up, (I’m) fully expecting to be back and firing in early 2025.
“I have been down this path before and will put in all the hard yards behind the scenes. I am very proud to represent my country and there is no better feeling. See you for some rockets in 2025!”
The ECB said Wood would aim to return in time for England’s white-ball tour of India and the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, scheduled to begin in February 2025.
With AFP inputs