Chris Woakes

Chris Woakes is an all-rounder who plays for the England national cricket team. Woakes is a right-arm fast medium bowler, and a right-hand batsman.

Born on March 2, 1989, Woakes made his first class debut at the age of 17 and before turning 20, was among the bowlers with the best bowling averages in the country.

Chris Woakes: Along the Years 

Chris Woakes Records 

• Best ODI bowling performance of the year by ESPNcricinfo

• In 2016, he became the highest run scorer by scoring 95 runs at Number 8 batting in an ODI against Sri Lanka.

• He became the first England bowler to pick 11 wickets against Pakistan in a Test match.

• On 21 June 2016, he scored his highest ODI score of unbeaten 95 runs in the first ODI against Sri Lanka. His score is the joint highest ODI score by number eight or lower in ODI history, a record that he shares with fellow Englishman, Sam Curran.

• Player of the Match in the 2019 World Cup semi-final against Australia

• 150 ODI wickets in his career

• 1000 runs and 100 wickets

• Most runs in an innings (by batting position) (95*)

• Best figures in a innings when on the losing side (6)

• Most catches in an innings (4)

• 1000 runs and 100 wickets

• 1000 runs, 50 wickets and 50 catches

Chris Woakes Awards and Accolades 

• Part of the England squad that won their maiden ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019.

• Part of the England squad that won their maiden ICC Cricket T20I World Cup in 2021.

• Player of the series in the 2023 Ashes series

Chris Woakes Career 

Christopher Roger Woakes, born March 2, 1989, is an English cricketer who represents England in all formats of the game. Woakes plays as a right-handed all-rounder, bowling fast medium.

He plays for Warwickshire in domestic cricket and has participated in several Twenty20 tournaments, such as the Indian Premier League's Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

In 2011, Woakes made his debut in the Twenty20 International (T20I) and One Day International (ODI) formats. In 2013, he made his Test debut. He played for England in the T20 World Cup in 2022 and the Cricket World Cup in 2019.

Chris Woakes Domestic Career 

Woakes played one match for Warwickshire during the 2006 season, during a West Indian tour of England. In the game, Woakes took three wickets. Since then, he has competed in the Second XI Championship for Warwickshire.

In 2008, he was a consistent member of the Warwickshire First XI. He topped Warwickshire's bowling figures during the County Championship season, taking 42 wickets at an average of 20.57 runs per wicket.

Woakes was called up to the England Lions squad on April 6, 2009. Woakes made his Lions debut by recording figures of 6/43 in the first innings of the game against the West Indies.

In the same season, batting at number nine and in partnership with Jonathan Trott for 222 runs, he hit 131 not out against Hampshire, his first-ever century in the first class.

In July 2011, during Warwickshire's County Championship victory over Sussex, Woakes grabbed his 200th first-class wicket. He was acquired by the Birmingham Phoenix in April 2022 for The Hundred 2022 season.

Chris Woakes IPL Career

Woakes was acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders at the 2017 Indian Premier League auction. He went on to claim 17 wickets in 13 games, with a best average of 3/6. He was acquired by Royal Challengers Bangalore at the 2018 IPL auction. He participated in five games and claimed eight wickets during the 2018 IPL. Prior to the 2019 IPL auction, after he was unsold, RCB released him.

He was acquired by the Delhi Caps in the 2020 Indian Premier League prior to the league but withdrew from competition. In order to maintain his fitness for the England Test season, Chris Woakes announced his withdrawal from the IPL 2020. Delhi decided to keep him for the 2021 campaign. Woakes debuted for the Delhi Capitals against CSK in the second match of IPL 2021. He failed to deliver an impact in the season even while playing just 3 matches for the Delhi franchise. In the latest IPL season in 2024, he was roped in by Punjab Kings for a hefty fee of INR 4.2 crores.

Chris Woakes International Career 

Woakes made his T20I debut for England against Australia in January 2011.

He made his ODI debut against Australia in Sydney in 2011.

Due to injury of Tim Bresnan, Woakes replaced him and made his Test debut at The Oval in August 2013 against Australia in the Ashes series.

Chris Woakes ODI Career 

On January 12, 2011, Woakes played his first International Twenty20 match in Adelaide against Australia. Bowling first, with figures of 1/34, he went on to hit the winning runs. He played in all of the tour's one-day matches, taking up the figures of 6/45 in his second One Day International. During an ODI series against South Africa in 2012, Woakes made his comeback to the England team. He later featured in the one-day squad against India and New Zealand in the first half of 2013.

Towards the end of 2014, he was chosen for the ODI squad that went on tour to Sri Lanka. Woakes was trusted with the new ball since England's injured senior bowlers, Stuart Broad and James Anderson, were not in the squad. In the series' fifth game, he bowled for figures of 6/47, a performance that ESPNcricinfo ranked as one of the top ODI bowling performances of the year.

He played for England in the 2015 Cricket World Cup, however an injury kept him from playing in England's final match.

Following the injury, Woakes was back for the 2015–16 Test squad against South Africa and the ODI series against Australia and Pakistan. In the first ODI against Sri Lanka on June 21, 2016, he recorded his highest ODI score of 95 not out. Along with fellow Englishman Sam Curran, his innings is the joint greatest ODI score by number eight or lower in ODI history.

He was included in England's Cricket World Cup team in April 2019. After collecting three wickets to lead England to the World Cup Final against New Zealand, the team's first appearance in a final since 1992, he was awarded the Player of the Match in the World Cup semi-final match against Australia. Woakes took three wickets in the final helping England win their maiden World Cup.

In the opening ODI of Sri Lanka's tour of England in 2021, Chris Woakes claimed the wicket of Pathum Nissanka, marking his 150th career ODI wicket. Woakes participated in every match for England, which won the tournament and defeated Pakistan in the championship match. Woakes is one of six players who were a part of the winning teams for the 2022 T20 World Cup and the 2019 ODI World Cup.

Chris Woakes Test Career 

In the last Test of the 2013 Ashes series, Woakes made his debut in a Test match against Australia, taking 1/96 in the opening innings. Woakes participated in his first Test of the 2014 summer, the third Test against India, after his selection in the teams for the matches against Sri Lanka and India. Playing all four matches, he was a vital member of England's ODI team. Towards the close of 2014, he was chosen for the ODI squad that went on tour to Sri Lanka. 

In August 2018, he scored his first Test century (137 not out) against India at Lord's, the same field where, two years earlier, he had recorded his best match stats with the ball (11/102) against Pakistan. He was included on both Lord's honours boards as a result of his achievements while being one of only ten players to achieve this, and the fifth to do so by taking ten wickets in a match

Woakes was included in England's thirteen-man squad for the opening Test match of the series on June 17, 2020, after being included in the 30-man squad to begin training for the Test series against the West Indies. Woakes claimed his 100th wicket in a Test match during the second Test.

Woakes was called up to the Ashes in 2023 for the third Test at Headingley, when he claimed three wickets in each of the two innings. He hit the game-winning run in the second inning, finishing 32 not out. England's biggest partnership of the match was his partnership of 59 runs with Harry Brook. For his efforts during the series, including collecting significant wickets at pivotal moments and accumulating 19 wickets in the six innings he was named England's "player of the series"

Chris Woakes T20I Career 

On January 12, 2011, Woakes played his first International Twenty20 match in Adelaide against Australia. He opened the bowling with figures of 1/34, and he went on to score the winning runs. Woakes was included in the England team for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in September 2021. Woakes was included in the England team for the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup in September of that year. Woakes participated in every match for England, who won the tournament and defeated Pakistan in the championship match. Six players, including Woakes, are part of the winning squads for the 2019 ODI and 2022 T20 World Cups.

In his 33 T20 appearances so far, Chris Woakes has scored 147 runs at an average of 16 runs. In his T20 career, Chris Woakes has struck seven sixes and nine fours. Woakes has grabbed 31 wickets in his T20I career so far, with an average of 26.71 and his best bowling figures of 4/3. At the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago, he played his latest Twenty20 match against the West Indies in December of 2023.

Chris Woakes Captaincy 

Chris Woakes has not captained the England team or any domestic team so far in his career.

Chris Woakes Under-19 Career 

At the age of 17, he made his first-class debut for Warwickshire against West Indies A in 2006. He picked up 45 wickets at an average of 20.48 in 2008, and in 2010, he picked up 58 wickets at an average of 21.48 in 2010.

Woakes attended Barr Beacon Language College in Walsall from 2000 to 2007. He was born in Birmingham in March 1989. At the age of seven, he joined the Four Oaks Saints Cricket Club and started playing cricket. He represented Herefordshire County Cricket Club in three games in the 2006 Minor Counties Trophy. From 2004 to 2007, he was a member of Warwickshire's under-15, under-17, academy, and Second XI sides. Woakes is a devoted fan of the neighbourhood football team, Aston Villa F.C. Up to the age of 14, he played wing for Walsall F.C. as a trainee football player.

Chris Woakes Family 

Chris's father, Roger Woakes, has been instrumental in his son's cricket career. In addition, Roger played cricket for the second XI of Warwickshire. Chris's mother is Elaine Woakes.

Chris's younger sister, Louise Woakes, is a cricket player as well. She has competed for England in a number of age group events. In 2017, Woakes married his longtime girlfriend Amie in a private ceremony. Operating her own business, Amie is a licensed hair stylist. Both of them are parents to two daughters.