Chris Woakes has never been one for drama, yet the way his England days ended felt straight from a screenplay. A dislocated shoulder, an unused bat, and 16 painful minutes at the non-striker’s end at The Oval – that was the last anyone will see of the 36-year-old in an England shirt.
The allrounder confirmed on Monday that he is stepping away from international cricket after a chat with Rob Key, England’s managing director. The conversation made it plain he would not feature in this winter’s Ashes squad, so he chose to call time and focus on franchise tournaments – starting with the ILT20 in December – plus another stint with Warwickshire.
Woakes admitted the injury, picked up while diving over the rope on day one of the final Test against India, instantly felt decisive. “Definitely, there was a part of me that thought then that this could be my last act in an England shirt,” he said.
Initial concern centred on the match itself, but reflection came quickly. “When my shoulder was in the wrong place and you’re walking off at that moment, immediately you’re thinking about the game, and thinking you’re not going to play any further part. And then once things calm down a little bit, and you get the shoulder back in place, I suppose you start to then reflect and think, ‘Actually, this could be potentially be my last act in an England shirt.’”
He still went out to bat at No.11 – sling on, one arm dangling – prepared to stand left-handed if necessary. “I would’ve never been able to live with myself if I’d have said no… It just wouldn’t have sat right with me. It felt the right thing to do, and I’m sure everyone [else] would’ve done the same.”
England fell six runs short. The image of Woakes grimacing through each scampered single earned praise across the game but also underlined the physical cost. Once scans confirmed a significant dislocation, any realistic chance of taking the new ball in Brisbane vanished.
Selection discussions were pragmatic. England could not gamble on a seamer who might not be ready until halfway through the series, and Woakes understood. “I’ve got to get this right and rehab it well,” he said. “Before that, the body was feeling great, and actually got better as the [India] series went on. Physically, I felt great and I felt like I potentially could have continued, but then obviously this happened and it just did change things a little bit.”
Deep down, he still believes he could have contributed down under. “I still feel like I would’ve been good enough and had the ability to go out [to Australia] – with my experience – to be able to go and do a job for the team, but I understand the route that the team are wanting to take. We haven’t won in Australia for a long time, so it feels like we’ve got to do something a little bit different and I’m fully behind that.”
The numbers say plenty: 46 Tests, 130 wickets, a home average with the ball lower than many Ashton Agar-style folk-heroes, plus invaluable lower-order runs. Yet Woakes has always been more substance than statistics. He leaves with a T20 World Cup winner’s medal, an Ashes-clinching spell at The Oval in 2015, and the respect of team-mates who valued his calm as much as his outswinger.
There is every chance he will still pop up on television, wearing a different shirt and bowling with that same rhythmic approach. England, meanwhile, move on. Woakes’ final contribution may have been a single that never counted, but it summed him up – selfless, committed, quietly brave.
