‘It’s just ground me down’ – England star retires from internationals at 36 with emotional statement after injury hell

ENGLAND fast bowler Mark Wood has revealed he is retiring from international cricket after suffering a knee injury. Wood has played in 38 Test matches for England, scoring 811 runs and claiming 119 wickets. England star Mark Wood has retired from international cricket Credit: Getty Wood admitted he had been ‘ground down’ by injury woes Credit: Getty He hasn’t featured for England since the first Test of last year’s Ashes in November 2025. And Wood opened up on how his injury woes had “ground him down” in recent years. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! He told Sky Sports: “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.” Most read in Sport Wood claimed he rushed back from injury too quickly because he was “desperate” to play in the Ashes. He added: “Probably, from my point of view [came back too early and rushed return]. I don’t think it’s to blame anybody else, it was just, I was desperate to play Perth because it was the fastest wicket there. “I was desperately trying to get it right. I was taped up to the nines, and I was like a mummy at one point I had that much tape on, but I just couldn’t get back quite to that level, and I was just not quite the same in Australia.” England Cricket also confirmed the news in a statement on X. They said: “Mark Wood has announced his retirement from international cricket He always gave everything for the Three Lions, on and off the field. What a career, what a player.” Wood also made 70 one-day outings during his time with England, having made his debut in 2015 with limited-overs cricket. He was part of the England team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup after a famous victory over New Zealand. Wood will now look to move into media duties and will be part of the Sky commentary team for England’s one-day international against Sri Lanka this week. Comment now