Saturday, August 27, 2016

Hopefully I can bowl even quicker: Mark Wood

Mark Wood, the England pacer, has promised to crank up his pace during the remainder of the One Day International (ODI) series against Pakistan. Playing in his first international match in 10 months, Wood clocked impressive speeds in the first ODI at Southampton on Wednesday (August 24), generating speeds exceeding 90 mph.

The pacer took one wicket, that of Sharjeel Khan - with a bouncer, which the speed gun measured at 91.3 mph, while his fastest delivery was measured at 92.7 mph. It was a promising return for the speedster who was back in the national fold after undergoing two operations on his left ankle - which could have been career threatening.

The pacer now feels fitter and faster and has said that the more he bowls, there's every chance of him increasing his pace. "I reckon I could go quicker, yeah," Wood said.

"I've been rushed back through to get some game time having missed the first half of the summer. I've only played two Championship games, and in one of those I only bowled 14 overs. So if I get that match fitness back up hopefully I can bowl even quicker," he added.

Wood reckons that pace is an important asset to bowlers, particularly in the shorter version of the game, although he insists on bowling with a plan. "In one-day cricket I think people see the value in having pace. The analyst gets quite worked up when I come in and he says 'you're bowling at 92', he always lets me know.

"But when I'm bowling, I'm not thinking about how quick I am, I'm just thinking about either a plan or trying to knock someone's head off. I just give it everything I've got and if it's fast that's brilliant," he said.

Wood relies heavily on his left ankle during his bowling stride and now feels rejuvenated, having been cleared of the pain. "I would say I'm consistently quicker," he said. "I have not got the pain in the back of my ankle which was causing me huge problems. People were saying I could not play back-to-back games but it wasn't that, I just couldn't bowl at 90 mph every day. I am a totally different bowler at 90 mph to when I am bowling 80 mph. It is a totally different game. I need that pace.

"It's great to be back in the team, it's nice to be bowling quick but ultimately I'll be judged on wickets. Hopefully I can go to Lord's and get a few more," he said.

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