Woakes targets place on England's winter tours

Chris Woakes is targeting a place on England’s winter tours after assuming the role of attack leader following the retirement of James Anderson.

The 35-year-old has not played an away Test in more than two years and his bowling average of 51.88 abroad pales in comparison to an excellent 21.57 at home.

Woakes would look a natural fit for conditions for three Tests in New Zealand in December, but may be less effective on the three-match tour of Pakistan in October.

“I’ll play for England where I’m picked to play for England. I certainly wouldn’t rule myself out,” he said.

“The selectors will have their plans, but I’m certainly not going to turn down a tour if selected. We shall see.”

Woakes last played away in the Caribbean at the end of Joe Root’s captaincy in 2022. He has not been taken on the tours of Pakistan, New Zealand or India since captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum took charge.

Without Anderson and Stuart Broad, who retired last year, Woakes has become England’s senior seamer. His three wickets on the first day of the first Test against Sri Lanka took his tally to 14 wickets in four matches this summer.

“The more Test cricket you play, you pick up new skills and have more experience to fall back on,” said the Warwickshire man. “I haven’t played an away Test for a little while, but that might be a good thing because it can give you a fresh look on things. I wouldn’t shy away from it.”

England effectively ended the career of 42-year-old Anderson, their all-time leading wicket-taker, with an eye on the 2025-26 Ashes tour of Australia.

That has led to some questions of their loyalty to Woakes, a similar style of bowler, and hardly young for a paceman despite being seven years Anderson’s junior.

One key asset for Woakes is his batting, and a Test average of almost 28. He is comfortably the best batter among England’s bowlers, a genuine number eight who has been pushed up to seven in the absence of injured captain Stokes.

“That is a bonus, isn't it?” said Woakes. “It's an extra string in the bow which allows me to potentially be selected ahead of someone else who maybe can't quite fulfil that role.”

Woakes helped England dismiss Sri Lanka for 238 on the first day of the three-match series, with the hosts then reaching 22-0 before bad light stopped play in Manchester.

"I firmly feel we've had a great day,” Woakes told Test Match Special. “To bowl a team out on day one and then be none down at the close, that's always really pleasing.”

England are being led for the first time by Ollie Pope, the vice-captain stepping up as skipper for this series because of Stokes’ hamstring injury.

Pope, 26, has captained in only one previous first-class match and has become just the fifth different man to take charge of England in a Test since 2009.

“Obviously it feels different not having Ben out there,” said Woakes. “I thought Ollie was good. He probably found himself having to switch on a little bit more than he would normally.

“As captain you have to be on the ball all the time, constantly thinking about fields, bowling changes and how to get wickets.

“He communicated with the bowlers well, talking about options and field settings. For an inexperienced captain, I thought he did a great job.”