Mark Wood quits international cricket [Source: AFP]Mark Wood has announced his retirement from international cricket. The legendary England fast bowler confirmed the same through an explosive social media post on Tuesday, September 22.Marred by injuries in the last few years, Wood has not played a single competitive match for England since turning up in the series-opening Ashes Test in Australia back in November last year.Mark Wood explains why he is retiring from international cricketTaking to his Instagram account, Mark Wood has announced his retirement from international cricket. Aged 36, the experienced fast bowler explained that his injury concerns have been preventing him from playing top-flight matches. He has also been medically advised to not play ODI and Test cricket for England.The Durham cricketer wrote “I’ve made the decision to retire from international cricket. 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.”Also Read- Mark Wood Exposes IPL's Brutal Reality Involving Team OwnerHe added, “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 last year.”Playing for England “greatest honour” for Mark WoodMark Wood also expressed his gratitude for his England career, claiming that wearing the England jersey has been the “greatest honour” of his life.He wrote “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 with and against the best, is something I feel incredibly lucky to have done, doing something I have loved.”Wood further thanked his family and friends for their endless support, and stated that he will continue to play cricket in other forms, thus pretty much confirming his availability for future IPL and other endeavours. “Most importantly to my family and friends, thanks for always being there in good times and bad. Behind the scenes, having to deal with setbacks, knowing I had a grounded support, always made me want to come back even better. I got to live out a dream and I hope I can continue playing cricket in some capacity and pursuing other challenges in the future.”A look at Mark Wood’s England careerMark Wood made his international debut across all formats for England shortly after the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. Up until his final appearance in the 2025-26 Ashes series in Australia, the cricketer had earned 38 Test caps, 70 ODIs and 38 T20I matches for his country. With a combined collection of over 250 international wickets, Wood claimed 119 of them in just 71 Test innings at an impressive average of 30.79.The 2015 Ashes winner was part of the England squad that lifted the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup and 2022 ICC T20 World titles in England and Australia respectively.When Mark Wood hinted about his retirementIt is worth noting that Mark Wood had dropped hints of his international retirement back in March itself earlier this year. While speaking on the BBC Tailenders podcast, the 36-year-old said that owing to his knee injury, he was required to undergo scans by specialists every six weeks. Wood added that he had already started considering about his post-retirement plans by doing podcasts and pursuing coaching badges.Also Read- Who Is Charlie Hinze, Japan’s 17-Year-Old Sensation Who Got Abhishek Sharma, Shreyas Iyer Out?
