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England speedster Mark Wood is hoping to end his ‘frustrating’ season on a high in the upcoming white-ball series against Australia.
The express pacer was part of the Test bubble as England hosted Pakistan and West Indies in the summer. But Wood managed to feature only in the solitary game against West Indies at Southampton, which embarked the return of international cricket, post-pandemic crisis.
Wood’s effectiveness in red-ball cricket was questioned after his dismal outing in the series opener against West Indies.
Earlier this week, the ECB selectors recalled Wood, along with Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer for the upcoming ODI and T20I series against Australia.
“Of course it’s frustrating; you don’t want to be the guy that’s easily dropped all the time. But there’s nothing more you can do. You’ve just gotta keep working hard. I’m trying to work on a wobble seam with a red ball, that’s something that hasn’t come naturally to me, but I’m trying to improve there,” Wood told Cricbuzz.
Wood’s last ODI appearance in 2019 World Cup final
“I asked the question after the last game, what did I need to improve on to get in the team, and they just said they were happy with my training ethic, and how I was around the team. It was just a 50-50 call, and they went the other way without me,” he added.
Wood last featured for England in coloured clothing, back in February this year, during the T20I series against South Africa. His last ODI appearance remains in the 2019 World Cup final against New Zealand at Lord’s.
“Going in, I hoped I’d play more after the winter, but it wasn’t to be. The lads that played did well and it was hard for me to force myself in. So I just tried to be as good a team man as I could be, not moaning and groaning and giving as much energy back to the team as I could from the sidelines,” Wood concluded.
