On a rainy October afternoon, after completing his 20th season in professional cricket, Chris Woakes settles into Edgbaston's indoor nets and reflects on guidance that shaped his entire career. The wisdom came from his parents, particularly his father, and centred on a single principle: remain true to yourself.
The Test stalwart has just claimed his third County Championship title and departs international cricket with 62 Test appearances, 192 wickets and 2,034 runs to his name. He also won two World Cups and worked under coaches ranging from Andy Flower to Brendon McCullum, playing for captains as varied as Sir Alastair Cook, Eoin Morgan, Joe Root and Ben Stokes.
Throughout a turbulent period for English cricket, Woakes has served as a stabilising and constructive influence.
There were a couple of occasions where I stepped outside my character and tried to be something else and it backfired. I quickly learned that what I had, and the way I did it, was the way forward. I'm relatively reserved, but I had quite a bit of dog in me which I didn't show verbally. You need that burning fire.
Though Woakes is often characterised as cricket's most likeable figure, this description undersells the technical mastery and competitive drive that define his playing style.
Ask some batters over the years and I'm sure they said: 'He isn't that nice.' Once you cross the line, you need to find a way to compete and win.
His forthcoming autobiography, The Wizard, has been developed in collaboration with Ali Martin, a cricket correspondent, who captures Woakes's distinctive voice while offering sharp analysis of the contrasting eras spanning his lengthy career. According to the publisher's listing, the 400-page book is scheduled for release on 22 October 2026 at £25.
How did his Test career end?
The narrative opens with his final appearance in Test cricket, on the extraordinary morning in August when Woakes arrived at the crease as number 11, with his shoulder dislocated, to attempt to help England chase 17 runs and secure a 3-1 series victory over India.
A poignant moment unfolded as Woakes descended the stairs at the Oval, the ground where he had made his Test debut 12 years earlier, characteristically prioritising team needs above personal circumstance. He had sustained a shoulder dislocation while fielding and could grip the bat only with one hand. The pain intensified dramatically when attempting to run, and he recognised that India's fast bowlers would exploit ruthlessly at the climax of an absorbing series.
It was amazing to go out like that but, in another way, quite sad. To walk out in front of a full house, and get a standing ovation, was maybe meant to be my farewell. But it was a horrible moment as well. I had the agony of the shoulder, but there's no worse feeling, especially as a bowler, when you leave the team handicapped: 10 v 11. Not many teams win from that position. That hurts.
Stepping onto the field generated unprecedented anxiety.
I don't think I've ever been as nervous because I was going into the unknown. I was going to bat with one arm, which was never going to look pretty or be great. One of the things you have to get over is the thought that, when someone's bowling at 90mph with a hard cricket ball, it can hurt even when you're batting the right way round. It was a challenge to build up the courage to face that.
Fear was undeniable.
Absolutely, because in international arena it's dog eat dog. So there was certainly some fear in the cauldron. It would be stumps or head, so I was going to have to wear a few. Your brain naturally tells you: 'I don't want to do this.' But you have to get over that. We got [the run chase] down to seven because Gus Atkinson did fantastically well. So close, yet so far.
Atkinson was bowled before Woakes could take strike.
In a selfish way I didn't want my wicket to be the deciding one, but part of me still wishes I could have faced a ball.
What upset him about his departure from England?
Woakes describes the manner in which his international career was terminated as particularly harsh. He could accept non-selection for the Ashes tour and the termination of his England contract, but the public nature of Rob Key's announcement wounded him. The England team director declared that
Chris Woakes isn't in our plans at all.
That final bit felt a bit cold. A bit shabby, really.
Despite his hurt, Woakes remains measured in his assessment.
I've always got on well with Rob and maybe those words slipped out, not necessarily how he meant it. But he could have easily had that conversation first with me, rather than the press.
The two have barely communicated since.
He's a busy man and moved on to different things. I'm sure at some point we'll discuss it. But in any walk of professional sport there isn't much loyalty because the game moves on. Rob probably had bigger fish to fry at that time. There was an Ashes series and that was his priority, which I understand.
What does he make of England's recent turmoil?
The Ashes proved catastrophic, with Australia's dominance compounded by off-field incidents that intensified pressure on Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes. McCullum was removed from his Test coaching position, though he retained oversight of the white-ball team. Stokes remained captain but, after leading England to victory in the opening Test against New Zealand, he and Gus Atkinson became embroiled in a post-match altercation with members of the Saracens rugby academy, breaching a curfew designed to prevent such occurrences.
Stokes subsequently appeared drained before stepping away from international cricket weeks later.
Being Test captain does beat you up. We saw it with Joe [Root] last time round. Cookie was the same. We saw it with Ben.
He was desperate for that Ashes series to be a winning one, and he probably deserved it. But the game owes you nothing and he didn't get it quite right on that tour. I think that was the nail in the coffin. Although he said he wanted to move forward, maybe deep down he knew he couldn't re-energise himself.
When Stokes announced his retirement at Trent Bridge, Woakes was providing Sky commentary.
On the day itself I saw him briefly at Trent Bridge and it was: 'What a career, mate. Hope you enjoy the moment.' All that sort of stuff because it happened quite quickly. I was on Sky commentary that day. It was a very slow day and it got to three o'clock and all of a sudden we heard the news he was going to retire and it became a bit manic. It would be nice to be able to sit down with him and discuss it.
Since Stokes's retirement, England's Test team has undergone significant restructuring. Joe Root has assumed the captaincy and fresh coaching structures have been implemented, offering the team a chance to reset after a chaotic summer. Root has emphasised new standards of player conduct following repeated off-field discipline issues, and England have begun to show signs of recovery, securing a 2-0 series lead over Pakistan.
Does English cricket have a drinking problem?
Woakes has always maintained a balanced relationship with alcohol. He enjoys beer after significant matches but manages his intake carefully, and before the triumphant 2019 World Cup he abstained from drinking as part of his preparation for the pinnacle of his career. Yet he questions whether English cricket has adequately addressed its relationship with alcohol.
I'd like to say no, but drinking culture is mentioned a lot. There are lads at [Warwickshire] that enjoy a drink after a win or a hard four days of cricket. Other guys here are almost teetotal and this is the most professional county team I've ever seen. But I've played in teams where the majority enjoy a drink so it becomes the norm.
People say within professional sport it should be zero alcohol. But cricket is very different to football and rugby. Test cricket is played over five days, on tours which last for months. It consumes you and people need to have a release. But that doesn't mean they should get in trouble, like we've seen within the England team recently.
Curfews alone cannot resolve the underlying issue.
No. You need to give players some freedom and treat them like adults. But it's unacceptable seeing the way some England players have acted.
The sport's culture around alcohol begins early.
We're brought up on alcohol to a certain extent. In club cricket there's a lot of alcohol and it becomes the norm from a young age. The professional game needs to be different, but the sport is so mentally draining it's almost impossible to tell people they can't have a drink. It's a human release.
Woakes remains optimistic that England have begun to address these challenges. He also acknowledges McCullum's gift for liberating players, while admitting that as a senior figure he should have spoken up when McCullum's ultra-aggressive approach, pursued without sufficient consideration of consequence, proved ineffective against elite Test teams.
There were times where we had the opposition pretty much by the balls and could have played a little more conservatively in that moment to get us to a point where the other team didn't have a sniff. But there were too many occasions where we let them back in. We could have been more vocal in those moments and say we need to shift gears within the game. We always went up the gears, but never really came back down.
How did different coaches shape his career?
His autobiography provides revealing insights into the contrasting philosophies of Flower and McCullum. Early in his Test career, Flower deployed withering criticism with ferocity.
He was ridiculously hard. I was almost scared to train, but that was also what I needed at the time. I just didn't realise it. So it worked out perfectly. Flower was exactly what I needed at the start and McCullum was exactly what I needed at the back end of my career.
What comes next for Woakes?
Following an outstanding county season, Woakes remains open to extending his domestic career. His passion for red-ball cricket remains undiminished, and he has signed a two-year Warwickshire contract extending through the end of the 2027 season. He has already demonstrated considerable aptitude in television work, and a future as a prominent voice in cricket broadcasting appears increasingly likely.
When asked whether he might introduce coverage of the opening day of the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge next summer—a moment that would coincide with Stokes's potential return to Root's team—Woakes responds with amusement.
Wow. God, could you imagine that?
Could Stokes make a final comeback against Australia?
When it comes to Ben, I genuinely think anything is possible. A large part of me says it won't happen. I think he's done. But if there's one person that could talk Ben Stokes round to playing again, it would be Joe Root. They're very good friends and have known each other for a hell of a long time. If Joe was to say to Ben: 'I want you back for one last series,' it could happen. It would certainly be box office. It always is with Ben Stokes.
Key Facts
- Woakes retired from international cricket with 62 Tests, 192 wickets and 2,034 runs, plus two World Cup victories
- His final Test appearance saw him bat one-handed with a dislocated shoulder against India at the Oval in August
- His autobiography The Wizard is scheduled for publication on 22 October 2026
- He has signed a two-year Warwickshire contract extending through 2027 and won the County Championship this season
- He has expressed concern about England's drinking culture and the need for players to be treated as adults rather than subjected to ineffective curfews
