Birthday special: Chris Woakes – England all-rounder who flies under the radar
Chris Woakes is an underrated cricketer. He can swing the ball both ways at a decent pace and has the knack of taking wickets and breaking flourishing partnerships. With the bat too, he is an able contributor and can mould his game to suit the needs of the side. He has represented the England side in 42 Tests, 106 ODIs and 16 T20I matches, and has contributed in multiple facets of the game.
Woakes has scored over 1500 runs in Tests at an average of over 25 and has also taken 125 wickets with the red cherry at an average of around 30. The all-rounder has scored 1315 runs in ODI cricket, at an average of 25.78. With the ball, the right-arm pacer has scalped 155 wickets. He has also taken a total of seven five-wicket hauls in international cricket.
Also, former England cricketer Alec Stewart heaped praises on Woakes and stated that the all-rounder is England’s unsung hero. Adding that Woakes is a cricketer who goes about his business in a quiet fashion, Stewart said that Woakes’ performances do not get noticed most of the time. Stewart even admitted that he is a fan of Woakes.
“He’s almost the unsung hero of the England set-up because we talk about Broad and Anderson then the pace of Archer and Wood, where as Woakes just goes quietly about his business. A lot of the time his performances go under the radar compared to these perceived bigger players. I’m a massive fan of Woakes, especially in England,” said Stewart while talking about Woakes.
Woakes is a player who toils hard for the England side but has not got the credit that he deserves. Being an impact player, he has the ability to change the course of a match. One such occasion was in the year 2018, when Woakes scored a quick 177-ball 137* against the Indian side at Lord’s, put on a mammoth partnership of 189 runs with Jonny Bairstow and helped England trounce India by an innings and 159 runs.
Woakes is an asset for his side in every department and has a lot to offer for his side. As Woakes turns 33 today, here is wishing the all-rounder a happy birthday!
