England fast bowler Mark Wood has conceded he may not be able to play Test cricket until the end of the English summer as he makes "slow progress" in recovering from elbow surgery.
Wood bowled 17 overs before suffering an issue with his right elbow in the first Test of a three-match series against West Indies, which ended in a 1-0 defeat for England in March.
The 32-year-old was forced to pull out of the ongoing Indian Premier League, where he was due to play for new franchise Lucknow Super Giants, and underwent an operation on his elbow.
Durham quick Wood hopes to use spells in Eoin Morgan's ODI team to regain fitness, with the three-match Test series against New Zealand that starts on June 2 at Lord's proving a step too soon.
England then face India in the rescheduled fifth Test in July, and Wood may target the visit of South Africa for three Tests in August and September as a potential return.
"Every time I bowl there's still a bit of swelling," said Wood, who was speaking at an event for England Test sponsors LV= Insurance.
"I'm hoping I can get off my full run in the next couple of weeks then play for Durham after that.
"At the minute it's a little bit slow going. The back-end of the summer is where I'll be looking at for Test matches, nothing early doors.
"If I can build up through one-day cricket first, that would make it easier for me to come back into Test matches."
Wood is one of seven pace bowlers sidelined for England's first Test against New Zealand, with Olly Stone, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer, Saqib Mahmood and Matt Fisher all out of action due to injury.
Ollie Robinson was also not considered for Brendon McCullum's new England Test squad due to fitness issues, which opened the door for a maiden call-up for Durham's Matty Potts.
Potts is the leading wicket-taker in the County Championship this season with 35, claiming 7-40 in a win over Glamorgan last time out, and Wood knows firsthand the qualities of his Durham team-mate.
"He's a proper bowler," said Wood. "He's got something about him and finds ways to get wickets. He's a big, strong lad, built like a tank.
"He never seems to drop off. He's really fit, constantly running in and making things happen. When you think nothing is happening, he gets a wicket. That's a great knack to have."
Duckett leads tributes to 'extremely humble' Root after making England history
Ben Duckett hailed "extremely humble" Joe Root after watching his team-mate become England's all-time leading Test run-scorer on day three against Pakistan.
Root needed 39 entering Wednesday's play in Multan to break Alastair Cook's record, and he surpassed that target with ease, ending the day unbeaten on 176 alongside Harry Brook.
In his 147th Test outing, Root drilled Aamir Jamal's delivery in the blistering heat to overtake Cook's previous record of 12,472 as England closed to within 64 runs of Pakistan on 492-3.
Duckett partnered Root for the historic moment and led the tributes at the end of play.
"He is extremely humble," Duckett, who recovered from a broken thumb to make 84, told Test Match Special. "It doesn't feel like you're sat around greatness.
"He's just hungry for runs every time he goes out bat for England. It's incredible to be in the same dressing room as him and long may it continue."
Root now has 12,578 runs in 146 matches, which has seen him bat in 268 innings in total, with his tally consisting of 35 centuries, 1,355 fours and 44 sixes.
The 33-year-old is up to fifth on the all-time list of run scorers across all nations, with only Rahul Dravid (13,288), Jacques Kallis (13,289), Ricky Ponting (13,378) and Sachin Tendulkar (15,921) ahead of him.
England batting coach Marcus Trescothick added to Sky Sports: "We're lucky enough to sit and watch history being made as a man goes on to be the leading run scorer in his country.
"The way he goes about it, the work he puts in and continues to strive for greatness all the time. He's been superb and think will continue to be superb for a number of years yet."
Amid all the fanfare for Root, England will enter day four looking to create some history of their own.
The tourists have never conceded as many as Pakistan's 556 and gone on to take a first-innings lead.
"The pitch is not doing a great deal at the moment and to be in a position where we can say we can get [a lead of] 150-200 is an incredible effort," Duckett added.
"The morning session will be important and if we can limit the damage, we can kick on in the afternoon."
Root makes history as England dig in against Pakistan
Joe Root led England's fight against Pakistan as he scored an incredible century to become their all-time leading run-scorer in Tests on day three.
Despite their rocky start out in the field, England are firmly back in the contest thanks to Root and Harry Brook.
Root started the day on 32, picking up alongside Zak Crawley, with England at 96-1 as they began the long chase.
It looked like it might stall as Crawley was caught by Aamir Jamal for 78, but Ben Duckett (84), who was okay to bat despite injuring his thumb yesterday, steadied the ship once again.
Root made history with a sublime drive for a four, before then bringing up his 35th Test century as he batted through the intense heat to reach 176 not out.
When Jamal pinned Duckett for lbw, Brook arrived with his own century, getting 141 as England pushed to finish the day at 492-3, now only trailing Pakistan by 64 runs.
The tourists have never conceded as many as Pakistan's 556 and gone on to take a first-innings lead, but they have put themselves in a position to do just that on day four.
Data Debrief: History maker
Going into this Test, Root needed just 71 runs to overtake Alastair Cook's all-time record of 12,472, but he more than surpassed that.
At the end of day three, he is now on 12,578 in 147 matches, batting in 268 innings in total. His highest score in that time came against Pakistan (254), while his tally of 176 not out is his highest tally in the host country.
Root now has 35 centuries and struck 1,355 fours and 44 sixes.
Jamaica names youthful squad for Fast5 Netball World Series in New Zealand
Jamaica has selected a youthful squad to compete in the 2024 Fast5 Netball World Series, which will take place from November 9-10 at the Wolfbrook Arena in Christchurch, New Zealand. The team, led by a mix of emerging talent, is eager to make its mark in this high-intensity, fast-paced tournament format.
The squad includes Tiffany Langley, Amanda Pinkney, Simone Gordon, Kimone Shaw, Cornelia Walters, Paula Ann Burton, Kestina Sturridge, Roxana McLean, Zaudie Green, and Shadene Bartley. These players will represent Jamaica in the two-day competition, where the unique Fast5 rules – such as power plays and shortened quarters – bring an added level of excitement to the game.
The tournament format features a round-robin stage, where each team plays each other once. The top four teams will advance to the finals on the second day. The 1st-ranked team will face the 4th-placed team, while second will play third, with the winners progressing to the Grand Final. The remaining teams will contest third- and fifth-place playoffs.
Jamaica has a proud history in the Fast5 series, finishing as runners-up in 2009, 2017, and 2018, and securing third place in 2010 and 2013. Currently ranked fourth in the world, Jamaica will be looking to improve on their past performances and push for a podium finish.
This young team represents the next generation of Jamaican netball talent, and although relatively inexperienced, they are determined to bring their flair and skill to the competition and make their country proud on the global stage.
As the tournament approaches, fans of Jamaican netball will be eagerly awaiting the team's performance, hoping that this new-look squad can continue the nation’s strong tradition in Fast5 netball and perhaps bring home their first-ever title in the tournament.
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