While Wood believes it is “important” for him to get some match practice before flying to the Caribbean, the final match of the series at The Oval on Thursday is also under threat from the weather. England will fly out on Friday morning. “The lads were itching to get out at Cardiff,” Wood said. “I don’t want a repeat of that tomorrow: hopefully, the rain stays away and we get some practice ready for the World Cup.
“Obviously, it’s not ideal when you schedule four games and we might only get one or two. It was great we got a run-out the other day [at Edgbaston]… that’s why these games are important. Yes, we have got experience, but warm-up games always give you a sense of different things you can tinker with; who’s in good form, who needs to work on other things.”
“It was great to have a session with David Young… it felt very similar to a session we had with him in 2019,” Wood said. “Jos [Buttler] spoke really well in that session about what we’re looking for as a team, and went over a few old things that strike hard with our team. Most teams around the world will say the same things, and Jos wants to get away from that and be really specific.”
England’s build-up has been in stark contrast to their preparation for the 2022 T20 World Cup, which they won, after playing seven T20Is in Pakistan and three more in Australia, one of which was a no-result due to rain. “Whatever preparation we get, that’s what we’re going to have to go with,” Wood said. “There were plenty of games before the last one, but who’s to say it won’t work the other way around?
“You can look at both sides: some lads have been playing at the IPL, and they’re match-ready… the lads that haven’t, is there a freshness? At the IPL, you’re playing all the time: other lads have seen your tricks, they’ve seen what you’re doing. Of course, it’s different conditions, and you have to adapt. But in terms of fresh legs, I might be going into that tournament feeling fresh.”
Wood arrived in India for last year’s 50-over World Cup short on match practice and struggled: he conceded 55 runs in five wicketless overs in England’s opening match against New Zealand, and finished the tournament with six wickets at 58.16. Perhaps that is why he is so keen to play at The Oval: “I was in a position to bowl quickly and test [my knee] out,” he said. “I’m really happy with where I’ve managed to get to, after a little bit of a speed bump.”
He appears unlikely to start the tournament – England picked what they consider to be their strongest XI at Edgbaston – but recent experience suggests that they will have to dip into their squad. In Australia, 18 months ago, they were without five players through injury by the final, including Wood himself. “As a group, we’ve all got to be ready to go and not be caught cold,” he said.
Wood believes he will have to be flexible if he does play: “In Twenty20, you’ve got to try to be able to bowl in all phases. I usually bowl one at the top, a couple in the middle and one at the end. I was really happy with how things went in Australia: I know it’s a different surface, but the last World Cup, I was pleased with how I came out there. I’ll be trying to repeat that.”
Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98