Chris Woakes, who took over as attack captain after James Anderson retired, is aiming for a spot on England’s winter tours. The 35-year-old hasn’t participated in an away Test in over two years, and his stellar 21.57 bowling average at home is far better than his 51.88 average away from home. Woakes would look a natural fit for conditions for three Tests in New Zealand in December, but may be less effective on the three-match trip of Pakistan in October. “Wherever I am selected to play for England, I will do so. “I would definitely not rule myself out,” he remarked.
In 2022, at the end of Joe Root’s leadership, Woakes made his final appearance away in the Caribbean. Since coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes took over, he has not been included in the tours of India, Pakistan, or New Zealand. He now has 14 wickets in four games this summer after taking three on the opening day of the first Test match against Sri Lanka. The Warwickshire man stated, “You learn new skills and have more experience to fall back on the more Test cricket you play.” “It may be beneficial for you to have a new perspective because I haven’t played an away Test in a long. I wouldn’t be afraid to do it.
As a result of Stokes’ hamstring injury, vice captain Ollie Pope is taking over as England’s captain for the first time. Pope, 26, has only ever captained one first-class game and is only the fifth different captain to lead England in a Test since 2009. Woakes remarked, “Obviously, it feels different not having Ben out there.” In my opinion, Ollie was good. He most likely discovered that he needed to turn on a bit more than usual. “As captain, you must always be alert, thinking about fields, bowling changes, and how to take wickets.”
