England's high-speed bowler Mark Wood has announced his international retirement. The announcement on Tuesday followed his last appearance in the Ashes in December, where he hobbled out of the series opener after rushing back from left knee surgery earlier that year.
Wood, 36, leaves international cricket with 119 Test wickets at an average of 30.8 and 80 one-day international wickets at 40.8. He was a key player in England's 2019 50-over World Cup triumph, taking 18 wickets, and also contributed significantly to the 2022 20-over equivalent, securing nine wickets in four group-stage games.
His career was frequently punctuated by injuries. Wood previously detailed his afflictions on a Sky cricket podcast, mentioning numerous shoulder jabs, a stress fracture in his back, four torn sides, two knee operations, two elbow operations, and three ankle operations, alongside an estimated 60 to 80 jabs in his ankle.