The English right arm pacer Chris Woakes revealed that England have issued apologies for making him share a taxi that ruined his winter. Ahead of England’s tour to Sri Lanka in January, Woakes was asked to share a cab with England All-rounder Moeen Ali from Birmingham to Heathrow Airport.
Following this, Moeen Ali tested positive for Covid which forced Chris Woakes to isolate himself for a week, and was ruled out for the first Test in Galle. The knock-on effect meant he did not play a single game for England throughout the winter.
“It was a big moment and there have been apologies but we were put in an unfortunate situation and I missed out because of that,” Chris Woakes said.
https://twitter.com/ADSutherland_/status/1405166026044620801?s=20
“I vented my frustration at the time. No stone has been left unturned during Covid but that’s the one thing we did not get right. I paid a price for that. I thought I was a shoo-in for the first Test. It doesn’t mean I would have then played all Tests but I would have had a chance to put my hand up and put in a strong performance. Not playing all winter after the summer I had feels like a waste. You want to make the most of your form when you’re hot.” added Woakes.
Chris Woakes was ruled out from New Zealand series due to IPL participation
The taxi saga wasn’t the only reason why Chirs Woakes missed out. He appeared for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021 which controversially ruled him out of the series against New Zealand.
“The IPL was very much on my shoulders. But it was tricky.”
“The Tests were scheduled late and as soon as I got out of isolation I would have had to play for Warwickshire after just a few days at home. It was in our hands and I decided a break with my family would do me good in the long run.”