In a significant setback for England‘s Test team, fast bowler Mark Wood is sidelined for the rest of 2024 due to a “bone stress injury” in his right elbow. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced this on Friday, September 6.
The ECB claimed that Wood was the first player to report the injury during their Test series against the West Indies held in July, but Wood managed to endure it during the first Test last month against Sri Lanka.
Wood also hurt his right thigh during the match against Sri Lanka, which was why he was not present in the second Test. The ECB added that Wood is recovering well while his thigh injury is handled differently.
“Medical scans have confirmed that Wood has a bone stress injury of the right elbow injury. He had noticed increasing stiffness and discomfort in his elbow during the Test series against the West Indies earlier in the summer.”
”He played a full part in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford managing the discomfort whilst he was bowling,” the ECB wrote. “Wood will continue to work closely with the ECB medical team on his management and rehabilitation,” the board statement added.
The West Indies faced Wood’s standout performance, where he had nine wickets in total for two Tests, including a fifer. The Englishman bowled at full throttle and maintained good rhythm while achieving two dismissals during the test match against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford.
Mark Wood plans to return for the white-ball tour of India: ECB
Wood is set to sit out of the two English Test tours to Pakistan scheduled for October and New Zealand in December. Therefore, the ECB has said that he will come back during England’s tour of India starting from January 23.
“He aims to return to full fitness by early 2025, in time for England’s white-ball tour of India and the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, scheduled to begin in February 2025,” the statement concluded.
During his absence, players such as Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, and Craig Overton have performed admirably for England. However, facing Pakistan and New Zealand without the leading pacer of this new attack will present a challenge for Ben Stokes and his team.
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