Mark Wood announces international retirement

England ace pacer Mark Wood has announced his decision to retire from international cricket. The 36-year-old has fought a prolonged battle with injuries that ultimately ended his career with 253 wickets across 146 matches. He finished his Test career with 119 wickets to his name at an average of 30.79. He has won the Ashes in 2015 and in white-ball cricket, Wood was part of the squad that won the 2019 ODI World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup. 

He announced his retirement on Tuesday morning before working on England's one-day international against Sri Lanka at the Riverside in Durham. Revealing the decision behind the move, Wood explained that his three-year central contract is set to end and that medical advice says longer formats are no longer possible. As things stand, he intends to play domestic T20 cricket for Durham and



franchise leagues alongside broadcasting and coaching.

In his farewell speech, Wood also mentioned that it has been a long time since he represented England and believes that it would be difficult for him to get back to the same level to compete in international cricket. 

“It's been a long time since Perth, in November, my last game, so it's been a year-and-a-half where it's just ground me down to thinking, 'Look, I'm never going to get back to this level,” Wood said. 

“My contract ends in September, and I think it just feels like the right time. I never wanted to give up [playing for] England, but the lads that are coming through are doing a fantastic job. The news should be about the lads that are going to get their contract, and I can just focus on other things,” he added.