England’s fastest bowler, Mark Wood, has been ruled out of the upcoming Test tours to Pakistan and New Zealand due to a bone-stress injury in his right elbow. This injury will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the year. Wood had earlier been pulled from the current Sri Lanka series as a precautionary measure following a right thigh strain sustained during the first Test at Old Trafford.
Initially, Wood believed the injury was minor. However, after undergoing an elbow scan, he received disappointing news. He shared on Instagram that the diagnosis was worse than expected, revealing he had bone stress in his right elbow.
This unfortunate injury means Wood will miss England’s final six Test matches of the year, including three each against Pakistan in October and New Zealand in December. He will now work closely with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) medical team, focusing on his recovery and aiming to return to full fitness by early 2025.
Despite the injury, Wood remains optimistic about returning to cricket. He hopes to be fit in time for England’s white-ball tour of India and the ICC Champions Trophy, which will take place in Pakistan in February 2025. His absence will be felt, especially given his recent impressive bowling performances.
Wood’s diagnosis came after one of the fastest spells of his career. During the Test against the West Indies at Trent Bridge in July, he clocked a top speed of 97.1mph, injuring Kevin Sinclair in the process. Although he went relatively unrewarded during that game, Wood ended the series with a five-wicket haul at Edgbaston.
Despite a solid start to the Sri Lanka series, Wood was only able to bowl 18.2 overs before being withdrawn. Reflecting on his injury, he expressed his surprise, noting that he had maintained high speeds during recent Test matches.
In Wood’s absence, Olly Stone was recalled for the Lord’s Test, and 20-year-old left-arm seamer Josh Hull made his debut in the third Test at The Oval.
