England pacer Chris Woakes takes break from cricket to mourn father's death

England all-rounder Chris Woakes has announced a break from cricket following the death of his father. Woakes, who missed the IPL and was left out of England's T20 World Cup squad, shared his grief and intention to return to Warwickshire when the time is right.

England all-rounder Chris Woakes announced on Friday that he is taking time away from cricket to mourn the death of his father, explaining his recent absence from the sport. The 35-year-old did not play for the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League and was left out of England's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

In a heartfelt social media post, Woakes shared: "The last month has been the most challenging of my life as my dad passed away at the beginning of May. I've spent the last few weeks with my family, the people most important to me. We're all grieving and trying to navigate this incredibly difficult time. It's moments like these that put everything into perspective."

Woakes, a key player in England's 2019 50-over World Cup victory, added: "I will return to playing cricket for Warwickshire, a team my dad dearly loved, when the time feels right for me and my family. Playing cricket for Warwickshire and England made my dad incredibly proud, and I look forward to doing that again soon."

Woakes has made over 200 appearances for England across all three international formats, including 48 Test caps. After the T20 World Cup, England will resume red-ball cricket with the first of a three-Test series against the West Indies, starting at Lord's on July 10.