England's plans for the upcoming Ashes series have been dealt a significant blow after pace bowler Mark Wood suffered an injury scare during a warm-up match in Perth.
Hamstring Pain Strikes During Warm-Up
Mark Wood experienced pain in his left hamstring while bowling for England against the England Lions at Lilac Hill. This was the 35-year-old's first match situation since injuring his knee in the Champions Trophy nine months ago.
The Durham fast bowler managed two four-over spells but was forced to leave the field after the second spell midway through the afternoon session. This setback comes just eight days before the first Ashes Test is scheduled to begin at Optus Stadium.
Precautionary Scan and Uncertain Timeline
The England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed that Wood will undergo a scan on Friday, describing the move as a precautionary measure. There is a possibility he could return to bowling on Saturday if the scan results are positive.
In an official statement, the ECB emphasised that Wood was only ever scheduled to bowl eight overs during this match. This session represented his first intensive workout since damaging his left knee during England's defeat to Afghanistan in Lahore back in February.
Ashes Dream Partnership in Jeopardy
The timing of this injury could not be worse for England. Just a day before this three-day contest, captain Ben Stokes had expressed his excitement at the prospect of pairing Wood with fellow speedster Jofra Archer at the start of the series.
"It would be exciting, wouldn't it?" Stokes had remarked, before adding a note of caution. "It's nine days 'til the first Test starts, that's a lot of time for things to fall into place or for something to happen."
Wood was England's most prolific bowler during the 2021-22 Ashes series in Australia. His last Test appearance was against Sri Lanka in August 2024. Previous attempts to return during the home summer were stalled when fluid gathered on his rehabilitated knee, preventing him from featuring against India or South Africa.
With the first Test fast approaching, England now face an anxious wait to see if their key fast bowler will be fit to lead the attack.
