Chris Woakes not in England's plans after Ashes: Rob Key
What's the story
England men's cricket team managing director Rob Key has confirmed that Chris Woakes is not in their plans after the Ashes. The seamer was left out of the squad for the upcoming series against Australia, leading to speculation about his future in Test cricket. Despite being a veteran of two previous Ashes tours and having a strong performance record, Woakes's absence from this year's squad has been confirmed by Key.
Injury impact
Woakes's shoulder injury ruled him out of the Ashes
Woakes, who has an average of 51.68 in Australia, was England's attack leader after James Anderson retired at the start of the 2024 summer. However, he dislocated his shoulder badly on the first day of the fifth Test at The Kia Oval this summer. Although he opted against surgery to recover in time for the Ashes, England's management deemed him too much of a risk for selection.
Future plans
Key on Woakes's exclusion
"It's been as tough a time for someone, I think, in cricket terms, the timing of it (the shoulder dislocation) as much as anything else," he said in a press conference. He added that Woakes was running out of time to be ready for the Ashes series. "Once you get out of an Ashes series, you're often looking at the next cycle," he said. "So Chris Woakes isn't in our plans at the minute... at all."
Leadership change
Harry Brook appointed vice-captain
Along with Woakes's exclusion, another major decision was the appointment of Harry Brook as the vice-captain. Key explained that he, head coach Brendon McCullum, and captain Ben Stokes had spoken to Ollie Pope before making this announcement. Despite Pope's previous experience as Test captain and his impressive average of nearly 40, Key said they believe Brook is "the best person for the job."
Performance review
Pope's position under scrutiny
Pope has been a consistent performer as Stokes's deputy, averaging just under 40. He has also kept wickets five times. However, with the emergence of 21-year-old Jacob Bethell, who impressed at No. 3 in New Zealand last year and recently became England's youngest-ever captain on a T20I tour to Ireland, there are discussions about potential changes in the batting order.
Pope
Pope is not guaranteed number three spot
"There is not like an elaborate scheme where if we take the vice-captaincy off Ollie Pope, it makes him easier to drop," said England managing director Key. "All the tours we've done, you never make your decisions too early because things happen. We tend to leave the decisions as late as possible. We'll find out what that XI will be probably two days before the first Test."