England all-rounder Chris Woakes has shared the tragic news of his father’s death, which has kept him away from professional cricket for the past three months. Woakes, who was part of the Punjab Kings squad for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, did not make any appearances during the season and was subsequently not included in England’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2024.
In a heartfelt message on his social media account, Woakes wrote, “The last month has been the most challenging of my life when unfortunately my dad passed away at the beginning of May. I’ve spent the last few weeks with the people most important to me, my family. We’re all obviously grieving and trying to get through what is undoubtedly the hardest moments in our lives. It’s times like this that perspective is at its greatest.”
Woakes expressed his desire to return to cricket soon, stating, “I will be back playing cricket for Warwickshire, who my Dad loved dearly when the time is right for me and my family. I know playing cricket for Warwickshire and England made my Dad incredibly proud. I look forward to doing that again in the near future.”
The 35-year-old’s last appearance for England was during the T20I series against the West Indies in December 2023, where he had a challenging series, scoring seven runs and taking four wickets in four games. His most recent professional cricket stint was in the International League T20 tournament in the UAE, where he played for Sharjah Warriors, scoring 47 runs and picking up nine wickets.
Woakes had a significant impact in England’s 2-2 drawn Ashes series in 2023, earning the Player of the Series award for his 19 wickets and 79 runs in three games.
The cricket community extends its condolences to Chris Woakes and his family during this difficult time.
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