Chris Woakes likely to return to competitive cricket in last week of June

Over the years, the England all-rounder Chris Woakes has been impressive in both departments of the game. His performances have left an impact on the results, especially in the red-ball format, where he is valuable for the team to pick up wickets with the new ball and score handy runs in the lower order. 

Woakes has donned the whites for England on only 12 occasions in the last two years due to the long-standing knee injury. He last featured for the English team in the three-match Test series against West Indies earlier this year, where he could secure only five wickets at 48.80. 

Since then, he has not played any domestic match, particularly for Warwickshire in the 2022 edition of County Championship. 

Woakes served as a guest commentator on Sky Sports coverage for the 2nd Test between England and New Zealand and reckoned that the knee injury had kept him out of action for the last few months. 

The 33-year-old seamer revealed that he has made a comeback and is undergoing light practice sessions. 

"My body needed a bit of a break. The knee is the thing causing me most grief at the moment," Woakes said. 

"It's been a tricky period of time. But it feels like it's turned a corner. I've got the ball back in my hand, albeit some very light bowling sessions, but I feel like competitive cricket isn't too far away," he reckoned. 

The talented all-rounder has hinted that he might return to play in the County Championship at the end of the month. The game between Warwickshire and Northamptonshire will take place from June 26 at Northampton. 

"Personally, I'd like to be playing by the end of the month. I still see myself as an all-format player. I'd like to do that as long as possible. I don't feel like I'm anywhere near the end," Woakes concluded.