England quick Mark Wood has been the fastest bowler at the T20 World Cup and he has revealed how advice from West Indies legend Michael Holding has helped him
Mark Wood is bowling faster than ever at the T20 World Cup, delivering a 96.15mph ball to Glenn Phillips in England’s crucial win over New Zealand.
And Wood has revealed how advice from legendary West Indies quick Michael Holding helped him hit top speed. One of the biggest changes Wood has made since his Test debut in 2015 is lengthening his run-up, something he did in 2018 after seeking advice from Holding during a Test match at Lord’s.
Holding took 249 Test wickets during a golden era for the West Indies and had spoken on commentary for Sky Sports about how he felt Wood’s short run-up was putting too much strain on his body, leading to him suffering regular injuries and preventing him bowling faster.
After hearing his comments, Wood approached him and went away to work with England’s lead fast-bowling coach Kevin Shine on putting Holding’s advice into practice. “I was a bit stubborn really because I didn’t want to give it up â because that had got us to that level,” Wood told the Telegraph.