'Hardest moments': Woakes opens up on absence from cricket

New Delhi, June 1: England and Warwickshire all-rounder Chris Woakes opened up about his absence from cricket, revealing that he has been grieving the loss of his father, who passed away at the beginning of May.

In a social media post on ‘Instagram’, the 35-year-old explained that the past month has been the most challenging period of his life, necessitating a break from the game he loves.

Woakes, a stalwart in England's cricketing setup with over 200 appearances across all formats, has not featured for Warwickshire this season and didn’t play for Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League. His absence was further extended by his omission from England's squad for the Twenty20 World Cup.

In his heartfelt message, Woakes shared that he has been spending time with his family, who are collectively navigating through their grief. "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 moments in our lives. It's times like this that perspective is at its greatest.”

He emphasised the importance of perspective during such trying times, acknowledging that the experience has profoundly affected him. Despite the grief, Woakes remains committed to returning to cricket when the time feels right. "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," he added.

Woakes' last appearance on the cricket field was in February, playing for the Sharjah Warriors in the International League T20 in the United Arab Emirates. He was also part of the England squad that toured the West Indies in December.