Latest news with #AshesDownUnder
The Independent
13-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
England paceman Mark Wood set to miss India series after latest injury setback
Mark Wood is set to miss England 's marquee Test series against India this summer after undergoing knee surgery. The 35-year-old Durham paceman has endured a long list of fitness problems over the course of his career and sustained his latest setback during last month 's miserable Champions Trophy campaign in Pakistan. Freshly back on duty after a long lay-off with a stress injury in his elbow, he pulled up sore during his side's defeat to Afghanistan. He returned to the field after treatment to bowl another spell despite being in visible discomfort, raising concerns that he had aggravated an issue that the England and Wales Cricket Board says has been present for 'over a year'. A specialist consultation, followed by the eighth operation of his career, has now shown ligament damage in his left knee serious enough to put him back on the shelf for a minimum of four months. He is targeting a return by the end of July, but with the final game of England's five-match series against India starting at the Kia Oval on July 31, he stands hardly any chance of being involved. Wood will also miss six white-ball games against West Indies and a one-off Test versus Zimbabwe in May. 'I'm gutted to be out for so long after representing England across all formats since the start of last year,' said Wood, who posted a picture on Instagram from his hospital bed. 'I've got every confidence that I'll be back firing on all cylinders now that I've been able to sort my knee out. 'I want to thank the surgeon, the doctors, staff, my England team-mates and coaches for their support – and, of course, our fans. I can't wait to get back and contribute to what is going to be a huge 2025 for us as a team.' Wood's ability to hit express speeds of up to 97mph mark him out as an irreplaceable asset in a year that England will be fighting on multiple fronts – including resetting their ailing limited-overs side, taking down India and regaining the Ashes Down Under. With the latter challenge now the most likely target for Wood, questions could arise over whether his talents are best utilised as a Test specialist. Injury issues among the quicks are hardly a new thing but with Brydon Carse also withdrawing from both the Champions Trophy and the forthcoming IPL due to toe problems and Jofra Archer being carefully managed after almost five years of repeated setbacks, England are on high alert over their pace attack. Fans have long craved seeing Wood and Archer in tandem in the red-ball arena but the pair have managed only one Test together, against West Indies in 2020. Hopes are high for Nottinghamshire's Josh Tongue, another on the comeback trail after missing the entirety of last summer, while Leicestershire's Josh Hull is also back in action after a quad complaint curtailed his winter.
The Independent
08-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Crazy to see growth – Dani Hazell proud of progress in English women's cricket
Dani Hazell was at the vanguard when England welcomed their first fully professional female cricketers in 2014 and finds herself on the front line once again as the women's game prepares for its next major leap. Just over a decade ago Hazell, a canny off-spinner and handy lower-order batter, was one of 18 players selected to become the country's first full-time, fully-paid playing squad. It was both a groundbreaking and overdue development as well as a springboard for continued change. From relatively humble beginnings, the professional era has continued to grow and will reach a fresh frontier this summer with the launch of the new tier-one county structure. While the original cohort would only just have filled a single dressing room 11 years ago, there will be more than 150 professionals in 2025 boasting a gender-matched minimum salary of £28,000 for rookies. Hazell, now 36 and with 146 international wickets on her CV, has the honour of leading the way for her home county as Durham's head coach and appreciates just how much has been achieved. 'It was very exciting to be involved when women's cricket started to take a very different direction. It changed everything and it paved the way for where we are now,' she told the PA news agency ahead of International Women's Day. 'The word 'trailblazer' makes us sound very old but it has really been quite a short space of time given how far it has actually come. 'To go from the top-end England players being financially supported for the first time to seeing 150 professional cricketers out there, it's crazy to see that kind of growth and I feel pretty fortunate to still be involved. 'To have been there from the start is really exciting and I'd love to have a crystal ball and see where it goes next. There has been great progress, I think we should be extremely proud of how far our game has come and still pushing for things to be even better.' The domestic revamp could hardly have arrived at a more apt moment, with England still reeling from a 16-0 thrashing in the Ashes Down Under. There have been plenty of questions around how to close the gap on Australia and, while some focus on narrow matters like personnel, preparation and tactical prowess, a bigger, better, more competitive county programme should drive up standards more widely. 'Things should spiral,' Hazell said. 'We had a smaller group of people who had that type of opportunity and support but over the next two, three, four years it should create a huge amount of competition and make those England squads harder than ever to pick. 'The pool will get far bigger. Speaking for Durham, we have great facilities, great coaches and we can give them a chance to be whatever they want to be. 'Not everybody will play for England, there's only so many spots, but you can now have a really good career as a domestic cricketer. If you get the opportunity to go higher than that, you know you have to take it with both hands.' Current England captain Heather Knight, who was one of the initial 18 alongside Hazell 11 years ago, sat down recently with former team-mate Lydia Greenway to discuss the journey with World Cup-winning predecessors Carole Cornthwaite and Lynne Thomas. 'It was so special to spend time with Lynne, Carol and Lydia,' Knight said. 'The game has come so far and we have so much to thank them for and everyone else who played the game before the professional era. 'You look at where the game is now and there are so many more opportunities for girls in the game. 'They got all the way in spite of the system and made it more achievable and more possible for everyone after them. We have something in common, having all represented our country, and it was really heart-warming to find out the experiences we shared as well as what separated us.'
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Crazy to see growth – Dani Hazell proud of progress in English women's cricket
Dani Hazell was at the vanguard when England welcomed their first fully professional female cricketers in 2014 and finds herself on the front line once again as the women's game prepares for its next major leap. Just over a decade ago Hazell, a canny off-spinner and handy lower-order batter, was one of 18 players selected to become the country's first full-time, fully-paid playing squad. It was both a groundbreaking and overdue development as well as a springboard for continued change. From relatively humble beginnings, the professional era has continued to grow and will reach a fresh frontier this summer with the launch of the new tier-one county structure. While the original cohort would only just have filled a single dressing room 11 years ago, there will be more than 150 professionals in 2025 boasting a gender-matched minimum salary of £28,000 for rookies. Hazell, now 36 and with 146 international wickets on her CV, has the honour of leading the way for her home county as Durham's head coach and appreciates just how much has been achieved. 'It was very exciting to be involved when women's cricket started to take a very different direction. It changed everything and it paved the way for where we are now,' she told the PA news agency ahead of International Women's Day. 'The word 'trailblazer' makes us sound very old but it has really been quite a short space of time given how far it has actually come. 'To go from the top-end England players being financially supported for the first time to seeing 150 professional cricketers out there, it's crazy to see that kind of growth and I feel pretty fortunate to still be involved. 'To have been there from the start is really exciting and I'd love to have a crystal ball and see where it goes next. There has been great progress, I think we should be extremely proud of how far our game has come and still pushing for things to be even better.' The domestic revamp could hardly have arrived at a more apt moment, with England still reeling from a 16-0 thrashing in the Ashes Down Under. There have been plenty of questions around how to close the gap on Australia and, while some focus on narrow matters like personnel, preparation and tactical prowess, a bigger, better, more competitive county programme should drive up standards more widely. 'Things should spiral,' Hazell said. 'We had a smaller group of people who had that type of opportunity and support but over the next two, three, four years it should create a huge amount of competition and make those England squads harder than ever to pick. 'The pool will get far bigger. Speaking for Durham, we have great facilities, great coaches and we can give them a chance to be whatever they want to be. 'Not everybody will play for England, there's only so many spots, but you can now have a really good career as a domestic cricketer. If you get the opportunity to go higher than that, you know you have to take it with both hands.' Ahead of International Women's Day, we asked four former and current England Women's cricketers to discuss how much the game has changed and to reflect on their own journey in the sport. — England and Wales Cricket Board (@ECB_cricket) March 4, 2025 Current England captain Heather Knight, who was one of the initial 18 alongside Hazell 11 years ago, sat down recently with former team-mate Lydia Greenway to discuss the journey with World Cup-winning predecessors Carole Cornthwaite and Lynne Thomas. 'It was so special to spend time with Lynne, Carol and Lydia,' Knight said. 'The game has come so far and we have so much to thank them for and everyone else who played the game before the professional era. 'You look at where the game is now and there are so many more opportunities for girls in the game. 'They got all the way in spite of the system and made it more achievable and more possible for everyone after them. We have something in common, having all represented our country, and it was really heart-warming to find out the experiences we shared as well as what separated us.'
Telegraph
02-03-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Jofra Archer in line for Test cricket this summer
Brendon McCullum has backed Jofra Archer to play for England during their Test summer after the fast bowler's encouraging displays in the Champions Trophy. Archer took six wickets across England's three matches during the campaign. Against South Africa he bowled seven consecutive overs, in an indication that his body is becoming more robust. England 's next Test match is the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge on May 22. The five-match series against India then begins on June 20 – England's last Test engagement before the Ashes Down Under in November. The most recent of Archer's 11 Test matches was in Ahmedabad in February 2021. But England remain hopeful that he could play a role against India and Australia, with his pace and skill regarded as an invaluable to the attack. Archer starred during his maiden Test series, taking 22 wickets at an average of 20.3 in the 2019 Ashes, but has been marred by injuries ever since. 'I think he's been really good,' said McCullum. 'Jofra's been out of competitive cricket for a couple of years, it's taken a little bit of time to get that rhythm of game play back. 'He's bowled high-pace, he's played a lot of cricket, he's been able to get a significant workload under his belt throughout this tournament. We've seen moments of how great Jof is.' McCullum said that Archer is on course to make his eagerly awaited Test comeback this year. 'I'll sit down with some of the players after this and work out what their ambitions are,' the head coach said. 'I would imagine Jof would be keen to play Test cricket this summer, yeah. 'We know how great Jofra is at the very top of his game and to have him back, fit and excited about playing is a real win for English cricket. We've got to make sure we're always doing the right thing by Jof and understanding the risks involved, but I'm pretty sure he's pretty keen to play Test cricket. 'If you can add him to the battery of fast bowlers you're trying to build then it only strengthens the squad. Overall, I'm really pleased to see where Jof's at and it's great to see him back playing and injury-free at the moment.' Archer's importance to England's pace attack has increased because of new injury concerns for other quicks. Brydon Carse left Pakistan earlier with a toe injury sustained during the loss to Australia. Mark Wood, England's fastest bowler, fell on his left knee – where he has suffered injuries before – during the defeat by Afghanistan. It is feared that he has suffered ligament damage, though the extent of the injury remains unclear. Wood will have a scan when he returns home to the UK. There are fears that he might need an operation, which could rule the 35-year-old out for several months.
Telegraph
27-01-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
England's old school approach to fast bowlers is risky in Bazball's defining year
Even Mark Wood was surprised last week when It is a risky strategy. The biggest task of the year – indeed of the four-year cycle – is at its very end, the Ashes Down Under in November. Before that, there is an epic Test series against India in the summer which they simply have to win. The sensible, modern play would be to nurse Managing fast bowlers is an art, and one that England have regularly got very wrong. McCullum's approach is old school, concluding that, for now at least, when they are fit, they will play. But is clearly fraught with risk, especially as Archer and Carse will spend a couple of months out of England's sight at the IPL this spring. Wood is only just back from the umpteenth injury of his decade-long career, but so far McCullum has been as good as his word. There has been no rest and rotation in this T20 series. Wood and Archer, also no stranger to the treatment table, will go again for the third game in succession, even with fresh bowlers like Saqib Mahmood on the bench and India opting for a spin-heavy attack. 'I was surprised but I was pleased,' said Wood. I've missed so many games for England that when you have a chance you want to play. 'All the other lads will be desperate to play as well. They'll need exposure and it's totally different playing T20 in India when the crowd's pumping, it's flat, small grounds. You need to expose yourself to that. I was surprised but it's nice to hear. 'The goal of trying to have a big group of fast bowlers certainly helps. It's just nice now there's maybe more fast bowlers than what we had before.' It has been a promising return after five months out for Wood, as he touched 95mph in his first game back at Kolkata, and was lively again in Chennai. Wood was out with an elbow injury that emerged when he was ruled out of a Test against Sri Lanka with a groin issue. Doctors even told him to stop picking up his young children with his right arm to rest the issue. 'It was a bit of a shock,' he said. 'To go from bowling well and feeling a bit of stiffness in the elbow to suddenly I could have a stress fracture. That was frustrating, but it's just another piece in my puzzle, somewhere on my body I've had to tick off. I worked incredibly hard in that period, training by myself in the North East, trying to get myself ready. That makes it sweeter. Great to finally get a wicket in an England shirt again.' Wood admits that there are moments of doubt when he spends time on the sidelines – but not over whether he will return quickly. 'I don't wonder if I can bowl fast,' he said. 'The question is whether I can still be as good or consistent or accurate. I don't lose the belief that I can bowl fast. I do doubt if I will come back the same, or if that is it, the age I am at.' 'I've only bowled about 20 overs in my career' Wood will turn 36 just after the Ashes ends, an age he knows is normally the winter of a fast bowler's career. He does not see it that way, though, thanks to previous injuries and the way he looks after himself (which on this tour, unusually, has led him to eat local food such as dhal and paneer). 'I would feel that as well [as others], thinking that this is the age people usually stop,' he said. 'So when you look at what's coming up you think could that be the end or could this be the last time I play here? You just don't know and I think as you get older that creeps in more. '[It helps that] I've only bowled about 20 overs in my career! I haven't got many miles on my clock. I work hard on my fitness, I worked hard in that downtime. One percenters like not drinking, trying to eat well, all play a small part. I was a late developer in cricket, I wasn't bowling quickly until my early 20s, but lads now are 18 or 19. I was nowhere near there. Jimmy played until he was 41. I don't see why I can't keep bowling quickly [after the Ashes]. 'I'm at the back end of my career now, I don't know how long is left. It could be injury, could be something else. I have missed so much cricket, I just want to take every opportunity and enjoy it.'
