Follow UsCricket’s rapid changing landscape has left some teams terribly short of resources. While England wasn’t too affected by the changing landscape, they have started to feel the heat of it in the recent year, starting with Jason Roy declining a central contract.
England’s premier fast bowler, Mark Wood, too, joined the party, stating that he would wait and see what comes out of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)’s national contract. Ahead of his ODI return, England’s Test skipper Ben Stokes acknowledged the changing landscape of the sport.
If Wood is indeed set to decline the national contract, he would probably miss three out of the five Tests for England. That would, in return, put a massive dent into England’s bowling unit, which looked lacklustre in the absence of the express pacer.
"We know now that the whole landscape of cricket is changing," Stokes said. "That is great for the individuals who are still within the game but also the guys who are coming through. The opportunities that are presented now for cricketers are amazing and it's great for the sport.
"Everyone's at a different point in their life, not just in their career, where other things have to be thought about by the individual," Stokes insisted.
In Wood’s own words, he doesn’t feel it is a viable option to be part of both the Internationa League T20 (ILT20) and be part of England’s squad for the five Tests against India.
“I don’t know what will happen at the minute. Playing both (India Tests and Dubai T20) is not a viable option for England.
“England will want me to be there for all the five Tests, not just part-time or some of it. I will wait and see what happens with the up-and-coming central contracts and then make a decision from there.
“But time away from home, the financial side of things now, there are more things in play than just solely my love of playing for England.”
Stokes also insisted that such a decision would be only massively influenced by the future and security of the players’ families, and it is extremely ‘hard’ for him to disagree with that.
"If a person makes a decision because they think it's not only best for themselves but also the future and security of their family, then it's very hard to disagree with that.
"The more opportunities that come, the more people will be attracted to the sport and trying to make a career out of it.