Mark Wood aiming to unleash against Australia Down Under

The 35-year-old went under the knife in March to repair medial ligament damage. He was set to return for the final Test against India in June, but fluid build-up around the knee curtailed his showing.

With the Ashes in mind, Wood and the English Cricket Board then decided to give him even longer rest, excluding him from the squad for their white-ball fixtures against the visiting South Africa in September.

As such, the Northumberland native is looking to get some crucial overs under the belt for Durham in County Cricket.

"I'm hoping to play for Durham as there are a couple of games in September - so I'll try and play one or two of those," he told the Stick to Cricket podcast.

"The injury is alright. It was fifty-fifty whether I was going to make the India Test but I was bowling at Lord's and then, the next day, my knee swelled up again so I had it drained and since then it's just been about taking things easy looking ahead to the winter.

"I've been well looked after and very cautious, that's the way that it's been. I value it as they've (the ECB) got this end-game where they want me to get to Australia.

"But I said to Baz McCullum, I can't just bowl to a net for four months, I'll go insane. There's a bowling camp in Loughborough in a tent - getting acclimatised there ready for Perth - then I'll go over to Perth early with a couple of bowlers. We'll arrive about a week early to prepare and get acclimatised."

Wood has a proud Ashes record. In the 2021-22 Ashes campaign in Australia, he took 17 wickets at 26.64. Then in the 2023 English summer the following year, he bagged 14 dismissals at 20.21 in the last three Tests.