Woakes is eager to put himself ‘in the mix’ for Ashes selection
Chris Woakes hopes sacrificing an Indian Premier League payday in favour of a County Championship stint gives him the best chance of featuring in the Ashes.
An important player in England’s T20 World Cup triumph last November, Woakes would have been fancied to land an IPL deal, but he decided before December’s auction to prioritise turning out for Warwickshire when the domestic season starts next month. Spending time with family after a winter full of England and franchise commitments is a factor, but the manifest goal is trying to force his way back into the Test setupforanothertiltatAustralia.
He has not played any firstclass cricket in a year due to injuryandrecognisesattempting to break into a buccaneering side that have won 10 of their last 12 Tests since last summer will not be easy.
But, if fit, Woakes’ proficiency in home conditions, where he averages 35.25 with the bat and 22.63 with the ball, means he is sure to be among a battery of quicks sought by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum for five Tests in sixand-a-half weeks.
“BenandBazaredoingfantastically well at the minute,” Woakes said. “It’s great to see the way they guys are playing. I would love to be a part of it and I still feel my record in England stands up against anyone’s.
“If I can get myself ‘redball’fitandfiringandbowling well, I’d like to think I’d be in the mix. I haven’t played Test cricketforayear,soIfeellikeI wouldneedsomeoversunder my belt to have the chance to knock on the door for selection. But it’s a tough side to get into and there are guys bowlingextremelywell.Irecognise that and have an opportunity atthestartoftheseasontoput in some performances.”
AnothercarrotforWoakes is the eagerly-anticipated series begins on June 16 on his home ground of Edgbaston.
“What a place to start an Ashes series,” Woakes added. “It’s a biased opinion. I’d love tobepartofit,butIknowhow difficult it is.”
Woakes’ last red-ball outingwasinthechasteningtour oftheWestIndiesinGrenada, where he admitted his troublesome left knee was starting to become a concern. He underwent an operation last summer and has been restricted to limited-overs matches since, all while the Test side have been breaking records and attracting praise for their aggressive style.