England pacer Mark Wood targets County Championship for comeback ahead of the Ashes 2025

England pacer Mark Wood is poised to return to competitive matches with Durham in September through the County Championship. The fast bowler has been in the recovery phase because of a knee injury he received during the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan. His possible stint with Durham comes as a part of his recovery ahead of the Ashes, scheduled to take place in Australia this winter.

In a recent podcast, Wood himself revealed that he tried to make an appearance during the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy but remained out of the ground due to a swollen knee.

"It was 50-50 whether I was going to make the India Test, but I was bowling at Lord's, and then, the next day, my knee swelled up again, so I had it drained, and since then, it's just been about taking things easy, looking ahead to the winter," he informed. But, now, he feels good. "The injury is all right."

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His return will benifit England 

Wood's return to competitive matches will be crucial for England, as they had to face multiple injury issues in the recent past. Another experienced pacer, Chris Woakes, is yet to recover from a shoulder injury that he received during a match against India. If Woakes is unable to get the match ready before The Ashes, then Wood could be their main man to lead the bowling side. On the Australian surfaces, a high-speed bowler can be very useful for the visiting side. And for England, Wood is the best in terms of speed.

Durham is set to play three County Championship matches in September: Essex (September 8), Worcestershire (September 15), and Yorkshire (September 24). "I'll try and play one or two of those," Wood said about his possible comeback. Mark Wood played his last Test match on August 21, 2024, against Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford.