Wood ruled out for the year due to elbow injury

LONDON: England fast bowler Mark Wood has been ruled out for the remainder of 2024 due to a right elbow injury, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Friday. The 34-year-old speedster, who had already been sidelined with a right thigh injury sustained during the first Test against Sri Lanka last month, discovered bone stress in his elbow during a recent medical check-up.

Wood, who has taken 119 wickets in 37 Test matches, expressed his surprise at the diagnosis. “I was shocked,” Wood shared on Instagram. “I’d put that down to the normal niggles every fast bowler gets and which I was playing through. I’m especially surprised because I’ve been playing Test cricket and kept my speeds up.”

The injury will see Wood miss England’s upcoming Test tours of Pakistan in October and New Zealand in December. The ECB stated that Wood aims to regain full fitness by early 2025, targeting England’s white-ball tour of India and the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, scheduled for February 2025.

Having faced injury setbacks before, Wood remains optimistic about his return. “See you for some rockets in 2025,” he concluded in his post.