Stick to Cricket Episode 10: Special guest Mark Wood on taking on Australia in The Ashes

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Watch Stick to Cricket episode eight with special guest Mark Wood

In the new episode of Stick To Cricket, Michael Vaughan, Alastair Cook, David Lloyd and Phil Tufnell are joined by England bowler Mark Wood to discuss this winter's Ashes series in Australia, Brendon McCullum's coaching and much more...


Betfair and The Overlap proudly present Stick to Cricket, a captivating new show featuring renowned England cricket legends Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook, David 'Bumble' Lloyd, and Phil 'Tuffers' Tufnell. 

The weekly show offers insights and discussions, with special guests joining the cricket icons to discuss the sport's hottest topics.

In this episode, the panel welcome England fast-bowler Mark Wood to the show to talk about this winter's Ashes series in Australia.

Watch the episode and read a selection of Mark Wood's quotes below.



I've been well looked after ahead of Australia 

The injury is alright. When I was coming back I pushed it too hard for that fifth test. 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 and looking ahead to the winter. 

I'm hoping to play for Durham as there are a couple of games in September - so I'll try and play one or two of those. There's a bowling camp in Loughborough in a tent - getting acclimatised there ready for Perth - then I'll go over to Perth early with a couple of bowlers. We'll arrive about a week early to prepare and get acclimatised.  

I've been well looked after and very cautious, that's the way that it's been. I value it as they've got this end game where they want me to get to Australia but I said to Baz McCullum I can't just bowl to a net for four months, I'll go insane. 


Brendan McCullum is cool

Baz does a bit of planning but I wouldn't say it's too analytical with meetings and things like getting players up on screen. It's not really like that, it's more about reacting well in the game with what's happening.

The best bit I've had, because I was the only seamer against India, he was coming up with more things like changing the rhythm of the game. He'd say: 'Right, we've had a period of spin, I want you to come on and try and blast something open. Let's try bouncers.' It's not always something so tactical, it's just so simple.  

With my batting. for example, I'm not a great batter but he just wants me to change the momentum of the game and get the crowd up then we've got momentum to bowl. He is cool.


Let's take on Australia 

We have to have a genuine belief [that we can win the Ashes]. And I think, over the last little period, every time I've played for England and we've gone to Australia, that seems like the end point whereas it doesn't feel like that with this team. I know we've had it in our sights but it's been more about how we've played and how we'll go about things as a team.  

Going to Australia now, it's about how we're going to take them on rather than think how we're going to win games. We've got a style of play, let's take them on. 


I'm too busy training to watch Australia

I don't watch Australia. I do all this fitness and rehab stuff and sometimes when I'm pounding the treadmill, I visualise myself running in, the angle of my run up or who I'm bowling to. That's how I mentally get my head in the game. 

I try and trick my brain so when I'm running in the freezing cold north east in my garage, I think to myself: 'They aren't going to be doing this, I'll have 1% over him.' 


England is always my priority 

I've got one year left on my England contract and then we'll see where I go from there. My answer would categorically, 100%, be that England was always my priority.

I'd never, ever look at anything else. If they said no, then that [franchise cricket] wouldn't enter my mind. I know money is a big deal for people in terms of big contracts and I've been to franchises a couple of times, but England would always remain my priority. 


The toughest batsmen I've bowled at...

In different stages of my career, I'd say Rohit Sharma was difficult. Against the short ball, I felt I had a chance of getting him out but if he's on it that day then he smokes it. I always felt like his bat kept getting wider.  

Virat Kohli was an unbelievable competitor. Someone I thought had this weakness of fourth, fifth stump drag him in but he never seemed to miss when I bowled him there.  

Steve Smith was so unorthodox in terms of thinking you should get him LBW but he doesn't miss it. You then bowl it wider and he hits it. He's quite hard to bowl to. 

Mitchell Marsh takes away your length and you feel like your margins are smaller. If you're up there, he stands on top and cans it. And if you're short, he pulls it.  

You've got to hold your nerve bowling at Rishabh Pant because you can't be that unpredictable because that plays into his hands. He can stand there and just wait for anything difficult. But you stay the same all the time, he's got such a good eye, he just hits it where he wants. 


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