Following the right-arm speedster’s exclusion from the ongoing Ashes 2025–26, former England captain Nasser Hussain expressed how devastating it will be for both England and Mark Wood. The English team is already behind 0–2 after the first two games of the series against their longest rivals, so Wood’s most recent loss is a huge blow.
Hussain stated that if Wood had been healthy, England might have considered using the strong pair in addition to Jofra Archer to try to win the series again. Additionally, he suggested that Archer might be rested for Wood by the English management.
“Both the team and the individual have suffered a severe setback. the team because, particularly as you approach the final three Test matches, which are consecutive, you want all of your bowlers available. So far, there have been significant gaps, but after the third Test, they start to appear more frequently. Hussain said on Sky Sports, “England may not have been able to go with Mark Wood and Jofra Archer again, but Mark Wood could have come in if Archer needed a rest, and that is not possible now.”
The 57-year-old expressed his whole compassion for Mark Wood, praising him for giving it his all while playing for the country.
The former cricket player turned pundit expressed his optimism that the express pacer’s red-ball career would continue and that he will be able to return in the future.
Additionally, it is a setback for Mark Wood, who is a genuinely personable young man who gives it his all each and every time he plays for England. After eight-nine months of rehabilitation, he has returned from yet another injury. His knee went out in the first Test, his hamstring went out in the warm-up game, and now he is going back for more rehabilitation. For him, it would be devastating. He has played 38 Test matches and has been around for ten years. He would be really depressed right now, and I hope that this isn’t the last time we see him play in Test matches,” he continued.
Wood suffered several knee and elbow ailments during the past 15 months, which prevented him from playing for England in the red-ball format. Wood made his debut for his country in 2015, however he has only participated in 38 Test matches and more than 100 white-ball international matches.
India
