Mark Wood has been released by Chennai Super Kings after playing just one match in this season’s IPL, and will return to Durham to prepare for the Test series against Pakistan, which gets underway at Lord’s on May 24.
Wood, who was picked up by CSK for GBP166,000 in the IPL auction, made his debut against Mumbai Indians in this year’s tournament opener at the Wankhede Stadium, but didn’t pick up a wicket in conceding 49 runs.
He is now set to be made available to Durham in their Specsavers County Championship match against Derbyshire this week, as he looks to cement the Test place that he reclaimed during the recent tour of New Zealand.
“The decision has been made for me to return home to England to prepare for the English summer,” Wood wrote in a post on Instagram. “Having worked so hard to get back into the test team, and because I’m not currently not in the CSK side, I am coming home to play for Durham to hopefully put my name in the hat for Test match selection.”
Ben Stokes, who is playing for Rajasthan Royals, and the Bangalore Royal Challengers duo of Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali are also set to return to England in the coming days to prepare for the Pakistan Test series. (ESPNCricinfo)
