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Rob Key has all but confirmed that Chris Woakes has played his last game for England and insisted that Harry Brook’s promotion to vice-captain for the Ashes is not “an elaborate scheme” to oust Ollie Pope from the team.
Speaking a day after naming a 16-man squad to take on Australia, Key, the team director, clarified the selections – not least the late switch in deputy for Ben Stokes – and confirmed that Woakes missed out due to the dislocated shoulder sustained during the final Test of the summer.
But with Woakes now aged 36 and his central contract not being renewed this October, an England career of nearly 15 years – during which he won two World Cups and was named Ashes player of the series in 2023 – appears to be over. If so, the final act was bravely walking out to bat in a sling at the Oval.
“It’s been as tough a time for someone,” Key said. “In cricket terms, it is the timing of it as much as anything else and the chance of reoccurrence [of the injury]. He was running out of time to be ready for the start for the Ashes. And then once you get out of an Ashes series you’re often looking at the next cycle, really. So Chris Woakes isn’t in our plans at the minute.”
If Woakes’s injury underlined the unforgiving nature of international sport, the same can be said of Pope’s removal as vice-captain. After three years in the role, the demotion comes on the eve of an Ashes tour that will define the Test project under Key, Stokes and the head coach, Brendon McCullum.
Key insisted it came down to Brook, the white-ball captain, simply being a “better leader” but is aware that, with Jacob Bethell’s star on the rise, he has re-opened pandora’s box as regards the debate around the No 3 spot. Pope, who he said was at ease with the call, was given no assurances, however.
“We think now is the right time,” Key said. “It’s pretty simple, really. When Popey has [captained], he’s done it well. He’s fitted into so many different roles. Harry Brook is just the better leader and will be the better leader going forward, so that’s why he gets that job.
“There is not like an elaborate scheme where if we take the vice-captaincy off Ollie Pope it makes him easier to drop. It doesn’t matter if you are vice-captain or not. If we don’t feel you are the right person – whether that’s an opener or No 5 – we’ll bring in someone we think can do the job better.
“At the moment, Ollie Pope is the man in possession [at No3]. There is a white-ball series [against New Zealand] that Jacob Bethell is playing in, things like that. You never make your decisions too early because things happen. We tend to leave the decisions as late as possible.”
When asked if Brook was therefore the next Test captain, Key replied: “Who knows? I might not be in this job when that decision is made.”
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Regarding Will Jacks, who returns as the second spinner, Key said this came down to being an off-spinner, the fact he will not be “overawed” if called upon, plus the flexibility his batting offers should injury dictate a reshuffle. The expectation, however, is that seamers will dominate the wicket charts.
On that score Key expressed no concerns about Mark Wood’s inclusion after knee surgery and a year without first-class cricket, citing his record of building towards Test matches through training. If fit, Wood will augment an attack that, with Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Byrdon Carse and Josh Tongue, is already blessed with more pace than witnessed on previous tours.
Key said: “I’m probably more excited than anybody who has to face them. We’ve worked so hard to get to this point. This is the last little step, get it right and hopefully we have every option available to us going into that first Test. That may be Wood and Archer together, it may not.
“But to have that battery of bowlers, every one of them fit. Fingers crossed, but that is the exciting thing. I think this is a bowling attack on the up.”
