Mark Wood performs down expectations of Ashes involvement

Wood was England’s main wicket-taker and finest bowler throughout their 4-0 defeat on the 2021/22 tour, however has solely performed three Tests since as a consequence of accidents and the ECB’s makes an attempt to handle his workload this winter.

Ben Stokes has acknowledged his want to have eight match seamers accessible for choice come the primary Test at Edgbaston on June 16, however Wood urged that, fitness-permitting, there may very well be “10 to 12 lining up”, including that he expects the collection to be “a group effort”.

England took 5 frontline seamers to New Zealand final month – James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Matthew Potts and Olly Stone- whereas there are 5 extra with Test caps in Bangladesh for the continuing white-ball tour: Jofra Archer, Sam Curran, Saqib Mahmood, Chris Woakes and Wood himself.

“I will definitely not play all five [Ashes Tests],” Wood mentioned, talking to touring media in Chattogram. “I was delighted to play four out of five in Australia. I was knackered, wrecked, exhausted [but] that was a big tick in my box to say that in a big series, I can do it, if Stokesy or Baz [McCullum] want me to play.

“More than probably, with the bowling inventory we’ve got, particularly at residence, I most likely will not even play 4. They would possibly even need me for one or two, in the event that they want a tempo ingredient. He [Stokes] would possibly wish to combine it as much as hold individuals recent, but when persons are enjoying nicely, I may not play any.

“I very much doubt, from the way they have managed me, [that I will play] four. If they want three or four, I will put my hand up.”

Along with Harry Brook, Wood was considered one of two England gamers concerned in all three of the T20I tour to Pakistan, the T20 World Cup and the Test tour to Pakistan, and took a two-month break earlier than the Bangladesh tour in an effort to give him an opportunity to recharge mentally and bodily.

“It was lovely, to be honest,” Wood mentioned of his time without work. “To be able to spend time at home and not think about cricket for a little bit was really nice. It’s made us hungrier when I’ve come back in.

“It sits very well with me. In the previous there have been occasions I should not have performed and I’ve. Having it taken out of your palms, saying’ gear up for this one’, you possibly can totally focus your thoughts and physique.

“The breaks have helped prolong me a bit more than previous years, when I’ve tried to play everything. I am never going to turn down the chance to play for England: if they want me I will be there and trying my best, but if they decide to rest us, I get it and [will be] gearing up for the next one.”

After this tour, he’ll play for Lucknow Super Giants within the IPL earlier than the Ashes begins in June. The Hundred follows in August, constructing into England’s white-ball fixtures in September and the 50-over World Cup in India in October-November. His spouse Sarah can be anticipating a daughter on the finish of May.

“With my record, I might get [through] two of them,” Wood joked, “so it’ll be nice to have had that time off at the start of the year. I think it’s hard for some multi-format players to juggle but Rob Key’s really good with speaking, ‘look, I think we’ll give you a little bit off there and then come flying back in for here.’

“I’ve performed interviews up to now the place I’ve mentioned, ‘after all I’m occupied with the Ashes within the background’ [but] I’m truly not. There’s a lot happening earlier than: we have this, the T20s, the IPL after which the Ashes after that. I’ve bought the beginning of my daughter in between that, so it may be an enormous time, I’m probably not considering that far forward.”