Wood confident he and Mills can ‘bring some fire’ at T20 World Cup
Mark Wood believes he can thrive alongside Tymal Mills at the forthcoming Twenty20 World Cup and plans a repeat of his speed gun rivalry with Jofra Archer.
Wood was spurred on to bowl faster by Archer’s presence as England claimed a historic 50-over World Cup title two years ago, coming out on top of the duel by sending down a 95.7mph delivery in the final against New Zealand.
Archer’s longstanding elbow issues will preclude his involvement as England go in search of a limited-overs double in the next month, but his Sussex team-mate Mills has shown he can easily breach the 90mph barrier.
There has been speculation the slow pitches in the United Arab Emirates, where England play all their Super 12 games, starting against the West Indies next Saturday, might mean Wood and Mills are battling it out for one spot.
Wood, though, rebuffed the suggestion, insisting they could feature in the same XI together and, if so, he will be egging on his fellow quick to go all out in a pace-off.
“It worked for me and Jofra, so me and T might have to keep it going,” Wood said.
“He’s looking the business at the minute (in the nets), so hopefully he can bring some fire and I’ll have to up my game as well.
“Jofra certainly helped me in the 50-over World Cup, and it would have been brilliant to have him.
“He’ll be a huge miss, I think, because the quality he brings in Twenty20, he can put people on the back foot from ball one.
“It’s up to me and T to carry that forward. It’s nice that me and Jofra had played together and proved you can have two fast men in the side, not just one. So hopefully me and T can get a game or two together in the competition.”
With left-armer Mills restricted to white-ball formats because of a congenital
back condition and Archer and Olly Stone, currently nursing a stress fracture in his lower back, having long lay-offs, Wood looks set to be England's only 90mph bowler at the Ashes, which is slated to get under way after the T20 World Cup on December 8.
His own chequered past with injuries led to him conceding he will “probably” not play all five Tests, but he thinks England are capable of doing something special in Australia
with James Anderson and Stuart Broad in tow.
“That would have been the plan for me, Stoney and Jofra and we’d hit them hard,” Wood said. "Unfortunately, injuries happen and it’s hard on those lads because you want them there, but the main thing is, if we can set the base with the bat and get the big runs, we’ve got a great chance of bowling them out with the likes of Broad and Anderson – they’re high-quality performers.”
Meanwhile, all-rounder Ben Stokes has sparked speculation of a late call-up to Australia after sharing a video of his return to nets.
He was considered unavailable when the Ashes squad was announced as he focuses on his mental wellbeing and recovery from a second operation on a problematic left index finger, but fuelled speculation of a late call-up by sharing a video of him batting for the first time since July.