After Ben Stokes cited building towards the next Ashes series in Australia as the main reason for retiring James Anderson before his farewell at Lord’s last week, many people are wondering why England are still keeping faith with Chris Woakes this summer.
Woakes will be 36 by the time that series Down Under starts in 16 months’ time and his record overseas is so bad even he admitted in the aftermath of Lord’s that the next Ashes might be a stretch.
Nobody can doubt Woakes’ record in England, averaging 22.04 with the ball in Tests and 32.93 with the bat from No 8.
Indeed, he was named man of the series in last summer’s home Ashes series despite only playing the final three Tests.
It’s why he will lead the attack in Anderson’s absence for this week’s second Test against the West Indies in Nottingham. It will also be his 50th Test.
But Woakes’ record away from home – an average of 51.88 with the ball in 20 Tests – means he is a long shot to be considered for next winter’s tours of Pakistan and New Zealand let alone the 2025-26 Ashes.
At 41, most people understood the reasoning behind captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum tapping Anderson on the shoulder back in May.
But if Woakes isn’t going to play in the next Ashes, why is he still being picked if the name of the game is building a bowling attack that can win in Australia?
Stokes was cagey when asked whether Woakes was in contention for that Ashes series on the eve of this Trent Bridge Test: “Everyone who is in the squad at the moment is sort of in contention.”
But given his poor overseas record and the fact he was left out for the tour of India earlier this year, isn’t his away Test career realistically over? “It’s not as cut and dried as that,” said Stokes.
After struggling to comprehend the question about why he would retire Anderson and stick with Woakes for this summer, Stokes intimated the six-year age gap between the pair was reason enough: “I think I get what you’re saying. I don’t really know how to answer it properly without being ageist.”
Reading between the lines, the real answer as to why Woakes will lead the attack this week – taking the new ball alongside Gus Atkinson and taking over Anderson’s old role of selecting which ball England will bowl with – is because he remains in the best XI in home conditions.
With a series to win and England this week playing a home Test without either Stuart Broad or James Anderson for the first time since 2012, Woakes’ experience is needed.
The presence of Broad, who retired at the end of last summer’s Ashes, will be evident at Trent Bridge when he is seen in the Sky Sports commentary box. The old Pavilion End will also be renamed in his honour before play begins.
But in truth his influence last summer, 22 Ashes wickets at 22, was far greater than that of Anderson, who started to look his age against Australia as he took just five wickets at 85.40. Woakes took 19 at 18.15.
In all probability, Woakes won’t play in Australia, but an England team who have not won a Test series since late 2022, need all the experience they can get right now regardless of the long-term goal.
It’s why this week Mark Wood was picked ahead of Dillon Pennington, who looked likely to make his Test debut at his home ground. Wood will be 35 come the next Ashes but is so quick he will, barring injury, be on that tour of Australia.
Pairing him in the same team as Atkinson, whose pace rattled the Windies as he took 12 wickets on his own debut at Lord’s, can be seen as a dry run for the Ashes.
Stokes assured Pennington he will get a chance later this summer. Matt Potts, also in the squad, and possibly even Sam Cook, the best seamer on the domestic circuit who has just returned for Essex from a hamstring injury, may also get opportunities during this summer’s remaining four Tests against the Windies and Sri Lanka.
Woakes wasn’t brilliant at Lord’s last week, taking only one wicket. But still coping with the death of his father Roger at the start of May, it was an appearance full of meaning. “There was a lot of emotion last week attached to Woakesy,” Stokes said. “I think that got lost a bit in terms of what he went through emotionally a couple of months before that.”
Meanwhile, one complication for England is Ben Duckett, whose partner is due to give birth to their first child any day now. On the off chance the new arrival comes overnight, the opener would be replaced by standby batter Dan Lawrence.