England fast bowler Wood retires from international cricket

England bowler Mark Wood talks exclusively to Sky Sports Cricket's Ian Ward about his decision to retire from international cricket due to a knee injury; Wood hasn't played since November 2025 and admits he rushed return from injury to play Ashes Test in Perth

England fast bowler Mark Wood has announced his retirement from international cricket due to a knee injury.

Wood departs the sport having featured in 38 Test matches where he claimed 119 wickets.

The 36-year-old has not played for England since an eight-wicket defeat to Australia in the first Test of the 2025/26 Ashes series.

In that series opener in Perth, he suffered a reoccurrence of the same injury which ruled him out of the remainder of the Ashes series.

In conversation with Sky Sports Cricket's Ian Ward on whether his decision to retire was difficult, straightforward or emotional, Wood replied: "Probably all of them. When you speak to other people, they say it hits you in the face, there's a big feeling around that being it: 'You're done.'

"I've never really had that, I love playing cricket, I love playing for England, that's been something I've felt really strongly about and proud to do. But I've had a lot of injuries.

"I've always found a way where I've believed I'd come back and had that resilience where I'm going to come back again, or I'll be better, or I'll prove somebody wrong again, but this time it's just ground me down really.

"I think it's been a long time since Perth, that was in November 2025 my last game, so it's been a year-and-a-half really where it's just sort of ground me down to thinking: 'I'm never going to get back to this level.'

"Plus the contract situation. My contract ends in September, and I think it just feels like the right time.

"I never really wanted to give up England, but the lads that are coming through are doing a fantastic job and the news should be about the lads going to get their contracts and I can just focus on other things."

Wood made his international debut in 2015 in limited-overs cricket, and retires having made 70 one-day international appearances and been a part of England's 50-over World Cup-winning squad in 2019.

He also played 38 T20 internationals and took nine wickets in four games as England won the World Cup in 2022, though injury would deny Wood the chance of playing in the semi-finals and final.

Wood will be part of the Sky Sports commentary team for Tuesday's one-day international between England and Sri Lanka in Durham.