England bowler Mark Wood retires from international cricket - 'He can look back with enormous pride'
Updated 22/09/2026 at 09:58 GMT+1
Mark Wood has announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 36. Wood was one of England's fastest-ever bowlers but saw his career frequently hampered by injuries.
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Wood took 119 wickets in 38 Tests, with his last appearance coming in England's two-day defeat to Australia in the first 2025/26 Ashes Test in Perth.
"I’ve made the decision to retire from international cricket," he said in a statement. "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.
"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.
"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 past year.
"Playing for England has been the greatest honour I could have ever wished for and a dream come true. The little lad in me would be so chuffed to have played so much for England.
"To travel the world, meet incredible people and play against the best, is something I feel incredibly lucky to have done, doing something I have loved."
Wood, who made his Test debut against New Zealand in 2015, played in four Ashes series and also helped England win the 2019 World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup.
He is England's sixth-highest wicket-taker in T20 matches, with 54 from 38 games, while he took 80 wickets in 70 ODI matches.
England's managing director of cricket Rob Key said: "It’s been a privilege to watch the latter part of a great career.
"To have been a point of difference in Ashes series wins, two World Cup wins, and to have thrilled crowds every time he got the ball in his hand is something very few players achieve.Â
"He can look back with enormous pride on a career very well spent."
Wood bowled just 11 overs in the 2025/26 Ashes before flying home due to a knee injury. He has admitted that he rushed back too quickly to play in the series after a lengthy spell out.
"Looking back now, it probably never was quite right," he told Sky Sports.
"I was always chasing that dream of, can I physically do this? My ankle problems, my elbow problems, all the rest of them, every time I went back, it felt better. This time, something wasn't quite right."
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