England speedster calls time on international career

England quick Mark Wood has announced his retirement from international cricket. 

Wood made his debut in 2015, and his last outing came in November 2025, when he featured in the Ashes Test in Perth.

He featured in 38 Tests for England and picked up 119 wickets. He also played in 70 ODIs and 38 T20Is, picking 80 and 54 wickets in the respective formats. 

One of the fastest bowlers in the current generation, Wood was part of two World Cup-winning campaigns – the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2019 and the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2022.

During their home triumph in 2019, Wood regularly breached the speeds of 150 kph and picked 18 wickets at an average of 25.72. In the victorious T20 World Cup campaign, he had nine scalps in four games.

Wood had missed out on a chunk of cricketing action due to recurring injuries, including a knee concern that ruled him out of the Ashes last year following his appearance in Perth, and the same played a role in his decision.

"I’ve made the decision to retire from international cricket," Wood said.

"Although this may not come as a surprise given the past year, it just feels like a natural time at the end of my contract.

"I’ve always tried to be resilient and come back from injury to prove people wrong and show everyone what I can do. Unfortunately, this time I lost the battle. On medical advice, Test cricket and 50-over cricket are not possible, so the England dream has slowly been ground out of me over the past year.

"Playing for England has been the greatest honour I could have ever wished for and a dream come true. The little lad in me would be so chuffed to have played so much for England. To travel the world, meet incredible people and play against the best is something I feel incredibly lucky to have done, doing something I have loved."

Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, stated that Wood was a thrilling player who stood out for England on important occasions.

"It’s been a privilege to watch the latter part of a great career. To have been a point of difference in Ashes series wins, two World Cup wins, and to have thrilled crowds every time he got the ball in his hand is something very few players achieve. He can look back with enormous pride on a career very well spent."