Mark Wood to miss England vs India series due to knee surgery

LONDON: England pace bowler Mark Wood will be sidelined for four months after having surgery to repair knee ligament damage, the country’s cricket board (ECB) said on Thursday, potentially ruling him out of the home series against India this year.

Mark Wood has had issues with his left knee for a year and the 35-year-old experienced “increased stiffness and discomfort” during England’s Champions Trophy group game against Afghanistan earlier this month, which forced him to leave the field.

Wood has had several surgeries in his career and the ECB said he was targeting a return to full fitness by the end of July.

“I’m gutted to be out for so long after representing England across all formats since the start of last year,” Mark Wood said in a statement.

“But I’ve got every confidence that I’ll be back firing on all cylinders now that I’ve been able to sort my knee out.”

England host Zimbabwe in a one-off test in May followed by two white-ball series against the West Indies.

England then welcome India for a five-match test series which begins on June 20 while the final test will be played from July 31-August 4.

On the other hand, the eagerly awaited T20 International (T20I) series between Pakistan vs New Zealand is set to commence from March 16, at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The series is particularly important for Pakistan, who is looking to bounce back after a disappointing exit from the 2025 Champions Trophy.

The Men in Green failed to secure a single victory in the group stage, whereas, the Kiwis reached the final of the tournament. They only narrowly lost to India in the finals.

The series will consist of five T20Is followed by three ODIs, providing both teams with ample opportunity to showcase their skills and make necessary adjustments ahead of future competition.

The first T20I is scheduled to start at 6:15 am local time, and fans are eager to see how the teams perform, despite two years of dismal performance by the guests.

Pakistan’s squad has undergone significant changes, with Salman Ali Agha taking over the captaincy from Mohammad Rizwan, who, along with Babar Azam, has been omitted from the T20I lineup.