Major fitness update on England's Ben Stokes, Mark Wood ahead of Ashes series

CARDIFF: England cricket team head coach Brendon McCullum has provided an update on the fitness of captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Mark Wood, expressing hope that both players will be fully fit ahead of the upcoming Ashes series in Australia.

Speaking to the media, McCullum explained that both Stokes and Wood are working extremely hard during their rehabilitation to regain full fitness in time for the series.

"Stokesy is training as hard as ever. The last series he played was probably the best he’s had as captain. For us to be competitive in Australia, we need a fit, firing, and motivated Ben Stokes and he’s doing everything possible to get there,” McCullum said.

Stokes suffered a shoulder injury during the fourth Test against India, ruling him out of the series finale. In his absence, Ollie Pope stepped in as stand-in captain.

Before the injury setback, Stokes had been in superb form throughout the series. The 34-year-old bowled 140 overs across four Tests, claiming 17 wickets at an average of 25.24. 

With the bat, he amassed 304 runs in seven innings at an impressive average of 43.43, underlining his immense value to the team.

Meanwhile, right-arm pacer Mark Wood is recovering from a left knee injury and is currently undergoing rehabilitation.

Wood’s career has been plagued by injuries, with the speedster undergoing eight surgeries since making his international debut for England in 2015. His fitness will be closely monitored in the coming weeks as England finalizes its Ashes squad.

England is expected to announce their Ashes squad later this month, with the first Test scheduled to begin in Perth on November 21, 2025.

Historically, Australia has dominated the Ashes, winning 140 of the 340 matches, while England has secured 108 victories. In terms of series wins, Australia also leads with 34 triumphs, compared to England’s 32.