Ash: England, Paceboat Mark Wood wants to "take one" in Australia
Written byTimes Magazine
British baseball player Mark Wood said he would be "delighted to poke one" in Australia in the upcoming Ashes series. Wood took the door that sealed England's home win at Ashes 2015 but has not played a Test against Australia in the six years since.
"That's one of the biggest things I can think of. Winning Australia will be one of the biggest achievements of my career," he said. "The World Cup is huge. We won the ashes at home, but let's go there ..." On the Project Ashes podcast, the 31-year-old added: "To deal with this 'loose green' thing, they keep talking about it.
"We're going to wear the broad blues, and I want to wear it." The first of five tests will start on December 8 in Brisbane. England is looking to regain the ballot box Australia held 2-2 in England two years ago.
In his first year as a cricketer, Wood was in England when he beat Australia's Nathan Lion in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge, giving hosts Alistair Cook a 3-1 lead.
Wood played in The Oval's fifth Test, but an injury saw him miss the 2017-18 series in Australia and England in 2019. "I have a great desire, a burning fire, to prove the people they're wrong," said Wood, who scored 64 goals in 21 Tests.
"They have some fast bowling, the best fast games, so I hope I can follow them, or better yet, and be part of the team that brought Ashes home. "When you look at it as a kid, it's like we never did well downstairs. I looked at Darren Goff when he got all these doors and thought, "Wow, I wish I could do that." Steve Harmison hit so hard, and he remembered for it."
With Jofra Archer and Olli Stone out through injury, Wood became the only fast player in the England squad to be tested again by Pat Cummins, Josh Hazelwood, and Mitchell Stark. Brisbane and Perth are traditional venues that offer speed and extra rebound for fast bowlers, even as the new Optus Stadium has replaced Perth's historic Waca.
"I'm probably not the first name on the team roster, so it makes sense to prove myself there and prove to Australians that I'm a good bowler," said Wood. "I would love to play in Brisbane and Waka. These are the two places where you think the ball is flying as a fast thrower.
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