Chris Woakes said he could open the bowling in the Ashes – despite England appearing to consider him a home specialist.
Woakes was player of the series in last year’s Ashes, taking 19 wickets in three Tests while contributing some vital runs as England rallied to secure a 2-2 draw.
Despite that performance, Woakes was not selected to tour India last winter, largely on account of his bowling average of 51.9 away from home. But Woakes, who made his Test return in England’s crushing victory over West Indies at Lord’s, believes he could yet play a part in the 2025-26 Ashes, bringing the experience that the attack will now lack after James Anderson followed Stuart Broad into retirement.
“I just don’t rule anything out,” Woakes said.
“It’d be hard for me to just stand here and say I’ll be the opening bowler in that Ashes – obviously my away record probably isn’t as good as my home. But at the same time, I’ve looked at Stu and Jimmy evolve as they’ve got older. And I still hope that I can potentially do the same, but I said I don’t look too far ahead.
“I’ve always looked throughout my England career as just looking at the very next event, the very next game, the very next series and trying to be in the best shape possible for that game, that series. I think as soon as you start looking too far ahead, you get caught up in it.”
Woakes made his Test debut in 2013 and 11 years on, at 35, he is finally the senior seam bowler and joked he is looking forward to getting the choice of ends for the first time. Yet, with Matthew Potts, debutant Dillon Pennington and Mark Wood also in the squad, Woakes is not guaranteed to retain his place at Trent Bridge for the second Test on Thursday.
“You’re going to see a lot more new players coming into the team or new bowlers and give guys opportunity, which is obviously what’s required to move forward,” Woakes said. “Obviously, it’ll be slightly different if I was given the new ball, your role slightly changes and the majority of my career I’ve come on first change.
“Whenever there is a new guy coming into the team, you still try and pass on a little bit of knowledge and I’ve been around for long enough to be able to hopefully do that. Maybe I need to do that a little bit more now as Stu and Jim have finished but particularly on the field maybe more so than off it.”
Woakes added that the recent death of his father had given him a new perspective on cricket.
“It’s been a tough couple of months absolutely. It’s just one of those things in life that you probably never really think’s going to happen until it does,” he said.
“Trying to get back into cricket has been quite hard to focus on the day job but I suppose once you get back out there and particularly putting on the England whites, it reminds you how lucky we are to do what we do. And seeing Jimmy this week – although it’s lasted for a long time for him – it doesn’t last forever and you have to try and enjoy every moment that you’re a part of this team and lucky enough to put on the three lions.
“My approach at the minute is to put things in perspective and just happy to be here and try and give 110 per cent.”
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