The English fast bowler Mark Wood announced on Tuesday that he is ending his international career. Wood, known for his exceptional pace and fighting spirit, has left a mark on English cricket, with his journey from average to elite marked by the advice of Michael Holding.
At the start of his career, Wood took an average of 41.73 runs per wicket in his first 12 tests. Everything changed when the Caribbean great Michael Holding advised him to lengthen his run-up. With the longer run-up, he made his debut in the third test against the West Indies in Saint Lucia in 2019 and immediately took 5-41 in the first innings, signalling a renaissance.
His best performances remain etched in memory for their dominance. In the fourth test against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2020, Wood bowled at an average of 89.1 mph, and the match ended with figures of 9-100. England won by 191 runs, with Wood particularly impressing by dismissing Rass van der Dussen for 98, caught off the back foot.
In the Ashes series of 2021-22, Wood played in four of the five test matches. In the final test in Hobart, he took 6-37 in the second innings, confirming his status as one of the fastest bowlers in the world. Justin Langer paid tribute to him with the word 'respect' in the lift.
At Headingley in 2023, in the third Ashes test, Australia were leading 2-0. Wood took 5-34 in the first innings, with an average of 90.4 mph on the first day. Among others, he dismissed Australian opener Usman Khawaja. This was the first time his parents had seen him take five wickets live. Wood's career is ending, but it remains recorded as one of the fastest and most exciting episodes in English cricket.
