“We have to make sure that we are winning matches, because when it comes to that World Cup of more than 50 years, we could be in a rather difficult group,” says English locksmith Mark Wood before the ODIs against Sri Lanka; Watch the series opening, in Durham, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.30am on Tuesday
England fast pitcher Mark Wood took three wickets in a 3-0 win over Sri Lanka in the T20 series
Mark Wood insists that England’s one-day international series against Sri Lanka is of great importance and that beleaguered tourists will not be taken lightly during all three games.
Test and T20 cricket dominate England’s impending schedule with a five-match test series at home from India and an Ashes series in Australia topping off the fall T20 World Cup bound for the United Arab Emirates.
The next 50+ World Cup won’t take place until 2023, but paceman Wood says England will not be short of intensity in the ODIs against Sri Lanka, which kick off at their home in Durham on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka, swept 3-0 by England in the previous T20 series and finished with 91 in Saturday’s final game at the Hampshire Bowl, announced on Monday that Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella and Danuskha Gunathilaka had been sent home after breaking the rules. Covid rules.
“I’ve missed so much cricket that playing in any format is special,” Wood said when asked how England is approaching the 50 series and up.
“We have to make sure that we are winning games as when it comes to that World Cup we could be in a pretty tough group. I know the other two formats are important, but any England game is important.”
“It has surprised me [at Sri Lanka’s struggles on the pitch]. When I was little, they had some of the biggest names in the game.
“They may be transitioning a bit, but they still have very good players. They beat us in the 2019 World Cup, a game where we were big favorites and we lost, so we can’t drop the ball.
“They are definitely [providing a test]. I can tell you from bowling in the T20s that if I get off a bit, they’ve hit me four and even a couple of sixes.
[Players being sent home] It gives someone else a chance to get in and I’m sure the guys who weren’t originally going to play will be desperate to get it right and prove a point. They have lost three games and will be desperate to fix that. “
Wood, who claimed three wickets in the first two T20 internationals in Cardiff before resting for the final match in Southampton, says he is happy with his form and fitness as he also played back-to-back test matches against New Zealand earlier in the year. this month. .
“I have chained some games together and in the test matches I think I kept my pace well. It’s good to see that I am playing and performing. Helping us to win games is what it is all about,” said the 31-year-old. -old.
“I have played back-to-back tests against New Zealand and in Sri Lanka [in January] so for people who doubted that I think I’ve come a long way with the physical side.
“I’m a little more mature now and I can tell my body isn’t feeling good instead of pushing myself to play another game. I’m in a good physical and mental space.”
Wood’s 90+ mph bowling could be a key asset as England look to reclaim the Ashes in Australia this winter, during a tour where players won’t be able to see their families.
England would need a special waiver from the Australian government for loved ones to join them due to the country’s strict Covid-19 protocols.
Wood added: “It would be very difficult without his family for so long. With a young son in a part of his life that is very important to me, it would be hard not to see him. We just have to see how it turns out.
“You cannot help the Covid Times and that is the way Australia is handling things with their government. If so, we will have to see the decision in the future. Our players are a similar age with young families so it will be. discussed and never taken lightly.
“The Ashes is big business and we want to try to win, so we don’t want distractions. We want to be clear about what we’re doing, whether it’s four months in a bubble or a little different.”
Watch the first one-day international match between England and Sri Lanka, from Durham, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.30am. M. From Tuesday.
