‘Real shame’ – England fast bowler Mark Wood ruled out of West Indies series and Indian Premier League

England fast bowler Mark Wood has been ruled out of the remainder of the West Indies Test series and subsequent Indian Premier League due to an elbow injury.

The injury began becoming a problem for Wood, 32, midway through the drawn first Test in Antigua.

Wood, who was England’s leading wicket-taker during last winter’s Ashes defeat, missed the ongoing second Test in Barbados and will return home next week.

The England and Wales Cricket Board say Wood will seek a ‘specialist opinion regarding the management of his injury’, but have confirmed he will take an ‘indefinite break’ from cricket and miss the IPL.

Wood was due to play for new IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants after being signed for £734,000 at the auction in February.

‘It is sad to see Wood injured, certainly after backing up games in Australia and really showing what a world-class bowler he is,’ former England bowler Steven Finn told BT Sport.

‘He is consistently above 90mph – that man England have longed for to be in the side. He is such a likeable character and we keep our fingers crossed it is nothing serious and that rest and rehab will get him back.’

England are yet to decide if a replacement will be called up for the third Test against West Indies, which starts on March 24 in Grenada.

But leading wicket-takers James Anderson and Stuart Broad were both left out of the tour and neither are believed to be on England’s list of reserves.

Centuries from Joe Root and Ben Stokes – and 91 from Dan Lawrence – helped England declare on a mammoth 507-9 in the second Test in Barbados.

In reply, West Indies had reached 114-3 by lunch on day three, trailing by 393.

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