Chris Woakes attributes his absence from cricket to the passing of his father, shedding light on the reason behind his hiatus from the sport.

(AFP Photo)

On Friday, England all-rounder Chris Woakes opened up about his recent cricket absence, attributing it to the loss of his father. The 35-year-old, who didn’t participate in the Indian Premier League for Punjab Kings and was omitted from England’s T20 World Cup squad, shared on social media that his father passed away at the start of May, making the past month incredibly tough for him.

“I’ve spent the last few weeks with the people most important to me, my family. We’re all obviously grieving and trying to get through what is undoubtedly the hardest moment in our lives. It’s times like this that perspective is at its greatest.”

Woakes, who helped England win the 2019 50-over World Cup, added: “I will be back playing cricket for Warwickshire, who my dad loved dearly, when the time is right for me and my family.

“I know playing cricket for Warwickshire and England made my dad incredibly proud. I look forward to doing that again in the near future.”

Woakes has made over 200 appearances for England across all three international formats, with his tally including 48 Test caps.

Following the conclusion of the T20 World Cup, England will transition back to Test cricket, kicking off a three-Test series against the West Indies at Lord’s on July 10.