'Doubts do run through your mind a little bit' - Chris Woakes reveals contemplating England future after lengthy injury break

Veteran English all-rounder Chris Woakes is hoping to make an impact for the Three Lions in a busy summer of cricket after recovering from a knee injury that saw him miss a considerable amount of cricket. Woakes missed the entirety of the summer last year, without any first-class cricket under his belt.

A lethal exponent of the new ball, Woakes last featured for the English team in March 2022 in a Test series against the West Indies. The 34-year-old pacer from Birmingham was left frustrated after missing the action last year and even contemplated his future due to his knee injury. However, a recall to the national team for the solitary Test against Ireland revived his hopes of reclaiming his spot in Ben Stokes' eleven.

"Last summer was quite a tough summer for me personally, missing out on not just England cricket but all cricket. When Brendon did call me it felt, not like the first call-up, but it always means a lot and it’s great to be back amongst it.

“Those sort of doubts (about playing again for England) do run through your mind a little bit. That’s part and parcel of professional sport, whether it be form, injury or whatever it is, there’s always someone knocking on the door, younger players ready to come in," Woakes told reporters at Lord’s on Tuesday.

With a huge summer ahead you want to try and be a part of that: Woakes

Ben Stokes' England are gearing up to face arch-rivals Australia in blockbuster Ashes next month, and Woakes is hoping to be a part of the epic rivalry. The 34-year-old stated that even though the team is sweating on the fitness of a couple of fast bowlers, they have got a plethora of options in the fast bowling department, which would be tested in the upcoming summer.

"Whenever you get an opportunity to put the shirt on it’s an opportunity to impress, contribute to team wins, and with a huge summer ahead you want to try and be a part of that. You look across the board and we’ve got a very, very good pool of fast bowlers. There has been a couple of niggles around, obviously, and with a big summer ahead you would imagine we’re going to need that big pool of fast bowlers at some point," he added.