Former England bowler Chris Woakes has criticized the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and managing director Rob Key for how they handled his exclusion from England’s 2025/26 Ashes squad, which effectively ended his international career.
Chris Woakes played for England in 217 international matches, including 62 Tests. His final Test appearance was against India at The Oval in August 2025, when he batted in the fifth Test despite dislocating his shoulder while fielding earlier in the contest.
However, his efforts did not earn him a spot in England’s squad for the Ashes visit to Australia. Woakes then announced his retirement from international cricket, with immediate effect.
Following the announcement, Key paid respect to the all-rounder, lauding his contributions to English cricket.
More than a year after retiring, Chris Woakes has stated that he has “barely spoken” with Key, expressing dissatisfaction with the way the incident was handled.
When asked about his connection with Key, Chris Woakes stated he had a strong rapport with the ECB managing director but felt the talk about his future might have taken place discreetly before the decision was made public.
