Chris Woakes, 36-year-old former England international cricketer, this week signed a new two-year Warwickshire contract. This agreement secures him to the organization through at least the 2027 season. This announcement follows exactly one month after Woakes’ international retirement, a time of full transition in his career.
Woakes has had an illustrious career representing England thus far, with 62 Tests, 122 one-day internationals and 33 T20s under his belt. It’s the national team that he will be most remembered for. Especially in major tournaments, he proved himself to be a reliable all-rounder.
At the club level, Woakes has been essential to Warwickshire’s recent successes. Equally indispensable, he was the linchpin of their County Championship winning sides in 2012 and 2021. He was instrumental in Warwickshire winning the One-Day Cup during both 2010 and 2016. In addition, he was part of the success as Birmingham Bears won the T20 Blast trophy in 2014. Woakes has a mighty record of 628 first-class wickets at 25.96 apiece. Further to this, he has taken 428 wickets in limited-overs cricket, strengthening his stature as a dominating force in both formats.
His recent contract extension is a clear statement of intent to be a vital part of Warwickshire’s success for years to come. Woakes, too, was excited for this fresh chapter, saying,
“Extending my commitment to Warwickshire for another two years feels like the start of a new chapter with a club that properly feels like home.”
The cricketer is still playing in multiple T20 tournaments across the world. The 31 year old recently played for Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred. His passion, rigor, experience and leadership make huge assets to the squad.
Warwickshire Performance Director James Thomas commended Woakes for his outstanding career and influence on the next generation of young cricketers. He highlighted that Woakes serves as a role model for aspiring cricketers by illustrating how to maintain top-level performance over an extended period.
“He’s someone all our aspiring young players can look up to, as an example of how to perform to the very top level over such a long period of time,” Thomas stated.
In particular, Woakes was encouraged by the mix of youth and experience in the squad and how well everyone was getting along. He expressed confidence in their potential, saying,
“We’ve got a talented squad, with a good mix of youth and experience, and I genuinely believe we are in a great position to be challenging for trophies.”
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