"I thought maybe that ship had potentially sailed" - Chris Woakes on returning to the T20I fold this year
England all-rounder Chris Woakes has said that he thought his T20I career was over before he earned a recall against Sri Lanka this year. Incidentally, Woakes hasn't represented England in the shortest format as much as he would have liked to.
Despite being reasonably active in franchise cricket, the 32-year-old played only his tenth T20 international this year after debuting in 2011. However, that didn't stop him from earning a spot in England T20 World Cup squad 2021. Woakes will likely take the new ball in Jofra Archer's absence.
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Chris Woakes said that he thought he was not in the reckoning in the T20 format. Nevertheless, the Warwickshire all-rounder kept a tinge of hope, and is now delighted to have the opportunity to help England win their second T20 title. Woakes said as quoted by Sky Sports:
"I certainly hadn't given up, but at the same time, I thought maybe that ship had potentially sailed. I'd be lying if I said I thought I was probably going to get another go."
"I hoped I might get another go, whenever that was, and I wasn't thinking of retiring from that format, but I certainly thought they might have moved on from going back to me. Obviously, I'm delighted to have the opportunity to have another go at a World Cup, and I'm really excited about that."
The right-arm seamer played a key role in England's 2019 World Cup win at home, finding success with the new ball. The 32-year old took 16 wickets at 27.88. England would expect a similarly impactful performance from Woakes in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021 too.
Here is the complete T20 World Cup England schedule.
"I think this T20 World Cup could be won by pretty much anyone" - Chris Woakes
Woakes wants to give it all this year to help England lift another silverware. But he knows the tournament is wide open, and no side can be taken lightly. He added:
"There are no guarantees that myself, or anyone else, will be selected for the next one so you have to make the most of the (opprtunity) here and now. It's a great opportunity to lift silverware for your country. To be honest, I think this T20 World Cup could be won by pretty much anyone, so that's also exciting, and it's a great tournament to be a part of."
Woakes was a part of the initial phase of IPL 2021. However, he skipped the UAE leg of the tournament to keep himself fit. He delivered promising performances for Delhi Capitals, taking five wickets in three games at 16.4. His batting skills could come in handly in the UAE, where the pitches are expected to be low and slow.