Agencies
Alongside old war horses James Anderson and Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer, Matthew Potts, Saqib Mahmood, Ollie Robinson, Sam Curran and Olly Stone are also likely to fight for a place in the team for the Ashes, which will begin with the first Test at Edgbaston on June 16.
Mark Wood was England's leading wicket taker in the 2021-22 Ashes series in Australia
England seamer Mark Wood expects to play a limited role in their Ashes campaign at home later this year, owing to the team's fast bowling options.
Wood was England's leading wicket taker in the 2021-22 Ashes series in Australia, which they lost 4-0, but the 33-year-old has played only three Tests since then due to injuries and workload management.
“I will definitely not play all five Tests,” Wood told reporters on Sunday.
“I was delighted to play four out of five in Australia.
“I was knackered, wrecked, exhausted (but) that was a big tick in my box to say that in a big series, I can do it, if Stokesy (captain Ben Stokes) or Baz (coach Brendon McCullum) want me to play.”
Wood is part of a fast-bowling unit led by all-time leading wicket taker James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
Jofra Archer, Matthew Potts, Saqib Mahmood, Ollie Robinson, Sam Curran and Olly Stone are also likely to fight for a place in the team for the Ashes, which will begin with the first Test at Edgbaston on June 16.
“More than likely, with the bowling stock we have, especially at home, I probably won't even play four. They might even want me for one or two, if they need a pace element,” Wood added.
“He (Stokes) might want to mix it up to keep people fresh, but if people are playing well, I might not play any.”
Test skipper Ben Stokes has expressed his desire to have eight seamers available for selection for the first Edgbaston Test of the series, but Wood said that if fitness permits, there could be “10 to 12 lining up”. He also expects the series to be “a group effort”.
In the recently concluded two-Test series against New Zealand, England made use of five frontline seamers, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Matthew Potts and Olly Stone. There are five more seamers with Test caps in Bangladesh for the ongoing white-ball tour, Jofra Archer, Sam Curran, Saqib Mahmood, Chris Woakes and Wood himself.
After a hectic schedule that started with a T20I tour to Pakistan in September, included the ICC T20 World Cup and ended with a Test tour to Pakistan in December, Wood took a two-month break before the tour of Bangladesh to recharge himself both mentally and physically.
“The breaks have helped prolong me a bit more than previous years, when I have tried to play everything. I am never going to turn down the chance to play for England: if they want me I will be there and trying my best, but if they decide to rest us, I get it and [will be] gearing up for the next one,” the pacer concluded.
