England’s Mark Wood fires back at ‘Golf-centric’ accusations
Wood expressed his frustration and fired back at critics
England fast bowler Mark Wood has dismissed growing criticism over the team’s love for golf, calling the ongoing “golf, golf, golf” narrative frustrating and misleading.
While acknowledging that the team has not always helped its image, Wood stressed that England’s players train hard and remain fully committed to their cricket.
The criticism, especially from former captain Kevin Pietersen, has centered on a perception that England’s white-ball squad prioritises leisure—particularly golf—over preparation.
Pietersen made his comments following England’s heavy defeats in India earlier this year, where they lost the T20 series 4-1 and were whitewashed 3-0 in the ODIs.
Speaking to British media, Wood expressed his frustration and fired back at critics.
“It is frustrating. I do not even play golf. It is not my thing. But some of the lads do enjoy it in their downtime. That does not mean they are not training or taking things seriously. We work hard—especially under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum,” he added.
The 35-year-old admitted, however, that careless remarks made by players in the media have made matters worse.
“We have been a bit naive, even dumb at times, with what we say publicly,” Wood said.
“Some off-the-cuff comments that should stay in the dressing room end up in the headlines, and it creates a picture that is not true. It makes it look like we do not care—and that is just not the case,” he remarked.
Wood emphasized that losing hurts the team, but they remain proud to represent England.
“We need to be more thoughtful with what we say because it does not always reflect how we truly feel,” he said.
The right-arm pacer is currently sidelined after undergoing knee surgery in March. Although initially ruled out for four months, Wood hopes to return in time for the latter part of the summer and feature in the Test series against India.
England’s home season begins with a one-off Test against Zimbabwe in late May, with squad announcements expected this week.
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