England play down injury concerns of bowling attack with ODI World Cup on horizon

England's preparations for the upcoming ODI World Cup have been marked by concerns over the fitness of two key bowlers. Despite their limited appearances in the first three ODIs against New Zealand, the England camp is taking a cautious approach, recognising the difficulty of replacing the two in the squad.

3 things you need to know 

• England lead the 4-match ODI series against New Zealand 2-1
• England will face New Zealand in their World Cup opener
• England won their maiden ODI World Cup title in 2019

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England's key bowlers injured ahead of World Cup

In the opening ODI in Cardiff, Adil Rashid made an impact by taking a wicket with his first ball, but he was forced to leave the field after three overs due to cramp. Since then, he has been sidelined due to calf tightness. On the other hand, Mark Wood, who opted out of The Hundred, has not played competitive cricket since the fifth Ashes Test in July. He had a sore heel and has been working on regaining match fitness over the past week.

🗣 Woakesy on:
😱 THAT Stokesy innings
✈ The aeroplane celebs!
🏆 World Cup momentum pic.twitter.com/J7S3AF5neQ

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 13, 2023

Chris Woakes, speaking after England's victory in the third ODI, emphasised the importance of managing Wood's return carefully, considering his valuable contributions. Woakes acknowledged that Wood's experience allows him to potentially skip some warm-up games and still perform effectively.

"He's (Wood) a big asset for us going into the World Cup," Woakes said. "You don't want to risk him too soon. Bruised heels, I remember having mine: you think it's going to be a week or two and in the end, they end up being quite long injuries that can always reoccur."

"A player with Mark's experience can go straight in. He's not the sort of guy who needs a load of game-time."

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Woakes, who himself had a strong performance in the third ODI with figures of 3 for 31, expressed his desire to maintain consistency throughout the World Cup. He was part of the squad that clinched the 2019 World Cup and aims to feature in all nine group-stage games in India over the next two months.

Woakes reacts to rigorous schedule

Regarding the challenges of international cricket, Woakes highlighted the rigorous schedule of bilateral series with extensive travel. However, he noted that the World Cup offers more spaced-out fixtures, providing players with a better routine for recovery and maintaining peak fitness.

"Myself, I like games under my belt to build up confidence and get up to speed. Actually, Mark is one of the guys I'm very envious of, because he can steam in and bowl at 93mph (150kph) as we saw in the Ashes. I don't think it's too much of a worry if he doesn't play in this series but hopefully he plays the last one [at Lord's on Friday]," Woakes said. 

"You want to keep putting in performances like that to keep getting the nod, selection-wise. From a fitness point of view, these bilateral series are quite tight and there's a lot of travelling. Although there's a lot of travel at the World Cup, it looks like there's more space between games so it does give you a bit more of a routine to recover and come back stronger and be fit for the next game," Woakes added.

With the World Cup opener against New Zealand just three weeks away (October 5), England's management will be closely monitoring the progress of Rashid and Wood, hoping to have them at full fitness for the crucial tournament. Despite the initial setbacks, England remain optimistic about their prospects, counting on the talents of these key bowlers to make a significant impact on the global stage.