Wood has played through pain for ‘three to four years’

England bowler admits ankle has held him back Slower delivery added to paceman’s weaponry

How much pain are we prepared to tolerate in the course of our job? A lot in the case of Mark Wood, England’s 28-year-old fast bowler, who has battled with his left ankle most of his career and yesterday received the results of his latest scan.

“I’ve been bowling with ankle discomfort for three or four years now,” Wood said on the eve of England’s second one-day international against New Zealand, which he was due to miss, because of a niggle rather than anything major.

“It’s not like every time I rock up I am 100 per cent. It’s always going to be there, it just becomes an issue when it starts to affect my performance.

“If I don’t bowl well because it’s not my day or my execution’s not right, I can deal with that. If it’s my ankle that’s causing me trouble, it doesn’t feel a true reflection of me.”

With his graphic turn of phrase, Wood describes the act of banging into the ground his left ankle, when it is not feeling strong, as “jumping through the roof ”.

He added: “Previously if it’s been bad I couldn’t really put my foot down. I can do that now, it’s just a niggle that all fast bowlers will go through. My ankle will never be a normal ankle because I’ve had that much work in there.

“We will work out a plan, it’ll probably be a bit of strengthening and some rest. If I need anything more it’s not a long-term thing.” Wood is vital as the only England bowler who can reach 90mph. Although he does not have great figures – 26 Test wickets at 41, 25 one-day international wickets at 44 – this is partly because of his ankle.

Wood’s absence in the first ODI in Hamilton was noticeable. David Willey swings the new ball, Tom Curran is skilled at the death, but in the absence of Liam Plunkett (who has a hamstring injury) England need Wood’s pace in mid-innings to break partnerships.

To make the most of his speed, Wood has to develop slower balls – to follow up his fiery bouncer with something subtle that makes the wary batsman play too soon.

Yesterday, in the nets, he was working on an off-cutter with his Durham team-mate Ben Stokes,