‘This time I lost the battle’: England pacer Mark Wood retires from international cricket after years of battling injuries

England fast bowler Mark Wood announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday, ending an 11-year career after a long battle with injuries.The 36-year-old played 38 Tests, 70 ODIs and 38 T20Is for England, taking 253 wickets across all three formats.Wood last played for England in November last year during the first Test of the Ashes series against Australia. He bowled only 11 overs before suffering swelling in his left knee, the same knee on which he had undergone surgery the previous year. The injury ruled him out of the rest of the Ashes series, and he did not play for England again.In a post on social media, Wood said the decision came after medical advice and a difficult year with injuries.“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,” Wood wrote.Wood has also dealt with ankle and elbow injuries during his career and said he had always tried to return stronger after setbacks.“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.”He added that continuing in Test cricket and one-day internationals was no longer possible.“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 last year.”Wood made his Test debut in 2015 and was part of England’s last Ashes-winning team, taking the wicket of Nathan Lyon at Trent Bridge to seal the series victory. He was also one of England’s leading bowlers during the 2021-22 Ashes series in Australia, where he took 17 wickets.He played an important role in England’s 2019 ODI World Cup-winning campaign at home, picking up 18 wickets in 10 matches. He was also part of England’s T20 World Cup-winning squad in Australia in 2022.“I got to live out a dream and I hope I can continue playing cricket in some capacity and pursuing other challenges in the future,” Wood said.Wood finished with 119 wickets in 38 Tests, 80 wickets in 70 ODIs and 54 wickets in 38 T20Is. He took nine wickets during England’s 2022 T20 World Cup-winning campaign, while his 18 wickets at the 2019 ODI World Cup came as England lifted the 50-over trophy for the first time.England men’s managing director Rob Key paid tribute to Wood, saying the fast bowler “thrilled crowds every time he got the ball in his hand.”