"I paid the price for that" - Chris Woakes says ECB apologized to him for taxi-share drama with Moeen Ali
English all-rounder Chris Woakes has revealed that England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) officials have apologized to him for making him take a taxi that ultimately ruined his winter.
Chris Woakes was told to share a cab with Moeen Ali from Birmingham to Heathrow Airport ahead of England's Test tour of Sri Lanka in January. The 32-year-old had to isolate for a week when his fellow passenger tested positive for COVID-19 after they arrived in the island nation.
This ruled Chris Woakes out of the first Test at Galle and eventually saw him miss every game in winter despite being voted player of the summer last season. The all-rounder recalled being frustrated with the hapless turn of events, adding that the winter felt like a 'waste' of form to him. He said:
"It was a big moment and there have been apologies but we were put in an unfortunate situation and I missed out because of that. I vented my frustration at the time. No stone has been left unturned during COVID-19 but that's the one thing we did not get right. I paid the price for that."
Woakes feels he could have been a part of the playing XI for the first test.
"I thought I was a shoo-in for the first Test. It doesn't mean I would have then played all Tests but I would have had a chance to put my hand up and put in a strong performance. Not playing all winter after the summer I had, feels like a waste. You want to make the most of your form when you're hot," Woakes was quoted saying by Daily Mail.
After winning the two Tests in Sri Lanka, England lost the four-match test series in India. Moeen Ali featured in the India series for a solitary test before controversially heading home under the workload-management policy.
"The IPL was very much on my shoulders" - Chris Woakes
Chris Woakes also missed the recent two-test series against New Zealand but admitted that he had himself to blame for this one. The ECB offered the players, who played in IPL 2021, a break from the home series and Woakes accepted it to be with his family.
"The IPL was very much on my shoulders. But it was tricky. The tests were scheduled late and as soon as I got out of isolation I would have had to play for Warwickshire after just a few days at home. It was in our hands and I decided a break with my family would do me good in the long run," he added.
Chris Woakes has now been named in the squad for England's T20 series against Sri Lanka. If given the opportunity, Woakes will feature in a T20I after almost six years.