The 35-year outdated underwent surgical procedure on Wednesday morning in London after scans confirmed medial ligament injury, which got here to the fore throughout England’s Champions Trophy group stage defeat to Afghanistan in Lahore on the finish of final month.
Wooden was pressured to depart the sector after pulling up halfway by means of his fourth over after experiencing “locking” in his knee. He returned 38 minutes later however might solely bowl 4 of his remaining six earlier than leaving the sector for good. The Durham fast’s left knee was closely strapped all through the match, because it had been for the reason that begin of 2024.
The timeframe for Wooden’s restoration means it’s extremely unlikely he options within the five-match sequence towards India, which begins at Headingley on June 20. A seamless rehabilitation might see him out there for the ultimate Check on the Kia Oval (beginning July 31), with Durham’s County Championship fixture towards Somerset (July 22) a possible return to aggressive motion. That spherical begins a day earlier than the fourth Check at Emirates Previous Trafford.
At this juncture, the ECB consider Wooden can be totally match to tour Australia this winter. Talking at Lord’s final week, males’s managing director Rob Key acknowledged England will “work again from the Ashes” concerning choices across the quick bowler’s health.
“I am gutted to be out for thus lengthy after representing England throughout all codecs for the reason that begin of final 12 months,” stated Wooden in an announcement launched on Thursday. “However I’ve acquired each confidence that I will be again firing on all cylinders now that I have been capable of type my knee out.
“I wish to thank the surgeon, the docs, workers, my England teammates and coaches for his or her help – and, after all, our followers. I can not wait to get again and contribute to what’s going to be an enormous 2025 for us as a staff.”
This newest setback joins a litany of earlier accidents suffered by Wooden since debuting for England in 2015. It’s his second within the final eight months alone, after an elbow stress fracture found final August stored him out of motion for the remainder of 2024.
Although there may be ample time forward of this winter’s tour of Australia, England can be sweating on this newest hitch to their quick bowling shares. Brydon Carse’ spectacular winter was curtailed by a left toe harm, whereas there stays a level of trepidation round Jofra Archer’s impending return to Check cricket regardless of robust showings off the again of his personal sequence of accidents given he has not performed a first-class match since Could 2021.
Wooden stays the standout of these quicks, and his latest report towards Australia underlines how very important he’s to Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes of their search to reclaim the urn for the primary time since 2015.
Wooden was the only brightspot throughout England final Ashes tour Down Below in 2021/22, with 17 wickets at 26.64 in a 4-0 loss, and took 14 at 20.21 within the drawn 2023 sequence having arrived with Australia 2-0 up. It was additionally towards Australia within the latest Champions Trophy that Wooden bowled England’s quickest ever ODI opening spell.
McCullum leant on Wooden after assuming management of the white ball groups initially of 12 months, selecting him for 9 of his first 10 matches in cost earlier than harm struck.
Although Wooden’s central contract, which expires in October 2026, contains restricted overs cricket and has to date featured three tournaments (together with the 2023 ODI World Cup and 2024 T20 World Cup), it appears unlikely he’ll characteristic in white ball cricket for the rest of this 12 months.
Vithushan Ehantharajah is an affiliate editor at ESPNcricinfo
