Chris Woakes

A brilliant all-round player, Christopher Roger Woakes has established himself as an important member of the England side across all formats. Having made a first-class debut against West Indies A in August 2006, Woakes grabbed the headlines two years later when he topped the bowling chart for his team with a tally of 42 wickets at an impressive average of 20.57. 

His consistent performances booked him a spot in the England Lions squad and also found his name in the preliminary squad for the 2009 T20 World Cup at home. 

Woakes again made the headlines with a sensational bowling performance for the England Lions against the touring West Indies side. He was exceptional and was unplayable during his spell of 6/43 in the 1st innings. 

To add to his bowling repertoire, Woakes is a classical lower-middle-order batter who has already made a name for himself with some crucial knocks in all formats. He scored a maiden first-class century against Hampshire and shared a record stand with Jonathan Trott for the ninth wicket. 

On the back of some consistent showings in the domestic circuit, Woakes made his international debut against Australia in a T20I game back in 2008. He went on to make his ODI debut a few days later and just a week later went on to bag his career-best figures of 6/45 against Australia. 

Woakes broke into the Test XI in 2013 owing to the injury of Tim Bresnan and made his Test debut in the Ashes at the Oval. However, given the class of fast bowlers England had at that time, Woakes didn’t really manage to cement his spot in the side. 

He went back to Sri Lanka with the England Lions and appeared in a few first-class games against Sri Lanka A. He was included in the T20 World Cup squad after a freakish injury to Ben Stokes. He was impressive and kept on chipping in with some useful contributions with both bat and ball. He was brought back to the Test side for the home series against India and soon emerged as a wicket-taking option, especially in the limited-overs format. 

The swing bowler went on to lead the England pace attack in Sri Lanka in the absence of James Anderson and Stuart Broad and returned with 14 scalps under his belt. Woakes had a good time with the ball, which included a hat-trick against Australia in the 2015 World Cup, but his team failed miserably and failed to qualify for the quarter-finals.
In the Test summer, the Birmingham-born had to warm the benches during the Ashes owing to a star-studded English bowling line-up. He did a commendable job in the limited-overs leg, but owing to the growing emergence of Ben Stokes, Woakes couldn’t quite cement his spot in any format.
However, an injury to Ben Stokes paved the way for a Test return, and he grabbed it with both hands. He bagged 11 wickets and chipped in with a vital knock against Pakistan at Lord’s, albeit in a losing cause. He followed it up with some impressive performances throughout the series. 

Woakes was pivotal in England’s maiden World Cup triumph in 2019, finishing with 16 wickets in 10 matches and also chipping in with some crucial knocks at the lower order. Post the COVID-19 lockdown, Woakes played a match-winning knock in the opening Test against Pakistan and yet again proved his worth as an all-rounder. 

In July 2021, in a sudden twist of events, a COVID-19 outbreak within the main England squad led to the formation of an entirely new squad overnight. Woakes, experienced and reliable, was called upon to lead the bowling attack against Pakistan in the emergency setup. He delivered in typical Woakes fashion—accurate, economical, and quietly destructive. Over three matches, he picked up 5 wickets at an economy of just 3.8, helping England whitewash Pakistan 3–0. While others made headlines for their explosive debuts, Woakes once again proved why he’s England’s safety net in white-ball cricket.

After years of being on the T20 fringes, Woakes finally found his groove in T20 internationals. Selected for the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, he had a breakthrough tournament, bowling with precision in the powerplay and offering key breakthroughs.

Despite injury setbacks, Woakes participated in the Indian Premier League 2022 for the Delhi Capitals (April–May). He played 3 matches, grabbing 5 wickets with an economy rate of 8.5—steady but not standout. The Capitals shuffled their overseas bowling options, and Woakes was released ahead of the 2023 auction.

During the Ashes series in June and July 2023, held in England, Woakes found himself left out of the first two Tests, a decision that raised eyebrows given his formidable home record. But with England trailing 0–2, he was recalled for the crucial 3rd Test at Headingley. It turned out to be a turning point. Woakes responded with immediate impact, taking 3/73 and 3/68, guiding England to a thrilling win. 

He carried this momentum into the 4th Test at Old Trafford, where he again impressed with five wickets, showing his mastery of seam movement and control. Then, at The Oval in the 5th Test, he produced another top-tier performance, taking seven wickets across the match. He finished the series with 19 wickets at an average of 18.14 in just three matches and was fittingly named Player of the Series.

Outside of England, 2024 saw limited franchise action for Woakes. He went unsold in the IPL auction, a reminder of the cutthroat nature of modern T20 squads and perhaps a reflection of teams seeking express pace or youth. However, he did make a brief appearance in South Africa’s SA20 league, turning out for the Pretoria Capitals early in the year. Though his stint was short, it allowed him to stay sharp ahead of the England summer.

In March 2025, Woakes was part of England’s ODI squad during the tour of Pakistan, a series built around recalibrating the limited-overs side. Despite a solid showing, he was not selected for the Test series, as England leaned into a youth-driven selection policy, opting to blood newer pacers for the subcontinental challenge.

(As of May 2025)