Key stated bluntly in a presser that Woakes was not in England's plans "at all" moving forward.
Former England all-rounder Chris Woakes has opened up about the end of his international career in his autobiography, The Wizard, revealing that he felt hurt by how managing director Rob Key handled his exit.
During a press interaction following the Ashes squad announcement, Key stated bluntly that Woakes was not in England's plans "at all" moving forward. Woakes learned about the definitive end of his England career through public media headlines rather than via a private conversation, making him feel "cold" and "shabby."
Despite his hurt, Woakes softened his stance by acknowledging that Key was under massive pressure preparing for a major Ashes tour.
Woakes officially retired from international cricket shortly after Key's public remarks, following a final, gritty Test appearance against India at The Oval where he famously batted at No. 11 with a dislocated shoulder.
“Chris Woakes isn’t in our plans at all," Key had said. Reflecting on the comments, Woakes wrote in his autobiography, as cited by The Guardian: “That final bit felt a bit cold. A bit shabby, really."
Chris Woakes later noted that he has generally gotten along well with Rob Key and that the words may have come out stronger than intended, stopping short of a full-scale public attack.
“I have always got on well with Rob and maybe those words slipped out, not necessarily how he meant them. But he could have easily had that conversation first with me, rather than the press," Woakes wrote.
While the two have "barely spoken since", Woakes acknowledged that elite professional sport rarely accommodates sentimentality or loyalty.
“We have barely spoken since. He is a busy man and moved on to different things. I am sure at some point we will discuss it. But in any walk of professional sport there isn’t much loyalty because the game moves on," Woakes added.
Across a stellar 14-year career, Chris Woakes retired as a double World Cup winner (2019 ODI World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup) and the Player of the Series from the 2023 Ashes, finishing with 192 Test wickets and 2,034 Test runs. He continues to play domestic cricket for Warwickshire and in global T20 franchises.