England speedster Mark Wood will miss England’s upcoming tours of Pakistan and New Zealand as he has been ruled out for the remainder of the year due to a bone-stress injury to his right elbow as well. According to an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) release, the 34-year-old “had noticed increasing stiffness and discomfort in his elbow” during the two-match Test series against the West Indies as well. He also played in the first Test against Sri Lanka where he suffered a right thigh injury. The ECB shared that Wood is recovering well from the thigh injury which had initially ruled him out of the rest of the summer as well.

In an Instagram post, Wood revealed. “During what I thought was routine check on a previously troublesome elbow, I was shocked to learn I’ve got some bone stress in my right elbow,” Wood said in his post. “After the minor groin injury at Emirates Old Trafford, me and the medical team felt it was a good time to get my elbow looked at as it was a bit irritated. I’d put that down to the normal niggles every fast bowler gets and which I was playing through.”

“I’m especially surprised because I’ve been playing Test cricket and kept my speeds up,” he said. “I work incredibly hard on my fitness, putting in extra work with coaches and physios making this even more disappointing. However, I guess this is, ‘part of being a fast bowler’, like Stokesy says.”

“I will miss the rest of the year needing time to rest and build up, fully expecting to be back and firing in early 2025. I have been down this path before and will put in all the hard yards behind the scenes. I am very proud to represent my country and there is no better feeling,” he again shared.

However, Olly Stone featured for England in the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in his absence while Josh Hull, the young left-arm seamer, made his debut in The Oval Test as well.