Since James Anderson retired, Chris Woakes is the only senior pacer still playing for England. While he is a deadly option for the Ben Stokes-led team at home, his performance away from home raises serious concerns. He averages 22.04 in home surroundings, but 51.88 abroad. While Woakes pledged to play better in order to guarantee his status in the squad for the forthcoming Ashes 2025, his spot in the team is still not guaranteed.
The all-rounder expressed his intention to follow in the footsteps of Stuart Broad and James Anderson, who both improved with age in the longest format. He stated that there’s a chance he won’t make it to Australia as the senior pacer, but he still plans to go. But the 35-year-old is prepared to play at his peak and is willing to take each game and each series as it comes.
“I guess now days I just don’t rule anything out. It would be difficult for me to simply declare that I will open the Ashes matches because, well, my record away from home isn’t as excellent as it is at home.
The Cricket Paper cited Chris Woakes as stating, “But at the same time, I’ve watched Stuart and Jimmy evolve as they’ve gotten older and I still hope that I can potentially do the same.”
“Even if Jimmy has experienced it for a long time, last week’s encounter is fleeting. You must make an effort to savour each and every second that you get to play for this team and are fortunate enough to wear the three lions. I’ve always focused on getting in the greatest form possible for the next game, series, or event throughout my time playing for England. I’ll try to give it my all every time I play and perform my part as well as I can for the team,” he continued.
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Woakes took one wicket in England’s inaugural Test against the West Indies, which they won by an innings and 114 runs. On July 18, the series’ second game will kick off.
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