Wood improving but thinking of life after cricketImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Wood has taken 119 wickets in 39 Tests for EnglandPublished13 March 2026Fast bowler Mark Wood has admitted life after cricket is in his thoughts if recovery from his newest injury “doesn’t go well”.The 36-year-old returned to Test cricket in the 2025-26 Ashes series after 15 months out with an elbow injury followed by knee surgery.He returned to bowl just 11 overs in the first Ashes Test in November, which England lost inside two days.He then missed the second Test with swelling in the knee and was subsequently ruled out of the tour.”It’s real slow going with the stage I’m at in my career,” mentioned Wood as he gave an update on his recovery to the Tailenders podcast.
“It’s quite a fine balance, where if I push this too hard then that could be it.”
The Durham bowler explained there had been improvement in the condition of his knee, with his recovery split into two phases
“It’s six-week blocks, it’s not day by day, it’s specialists and rescans every six weeks. It’s been improving since what I got told had been an explosion in my knee in Australia.
“So every six weeks has been an improvement. I’ve started running now and I’m hoping by the next block it’s in a position where maybe I can start lightly bowling.”
