LONDON (AP) — Mark Wood, a multiformat World Cup-winning England cricket er who was one of the fastest bowlers of his generation, announced his retirement from the international game on Tuesday after a string of injury problems.

The 36-year-old Wood was part of World Cup-winning teams in the ODI (2019) and T20 (2022) formats and also played in four Ashes series, taking the wicket to win back the urn at Trent Bridge in his first series in 2015.

He has been blighted by injury issues in recent years, not least last year when he missed eight months following left knee surgery before returning in time for the Ashes series Down Under. Wood bowled just 11 overs in the first test before suffering swelling in the same knee, prompting him to fly home for treatment, and he has not played for England since.

Wood said it was the “natural time” to retire at the end of his central contract with England.

“I’ve always tried to be resilient and come back from injury to prove people wrong and show everyone what I can do,” Wood said in a statement. “Unfortunately this time I lost the battle.

Mark Wood retires from international cricket with England after 2 World Cup wins and 4 Ashes series | iNFOnews.ca — FILE – England’s Mark Wood bowls a delivery during the fourth day of the fourth Ashes Test match between England and Australia at Old Trafford, Manchester, England, Saturday, July 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira, File)

“On medical advice, test cricket and 50-over cricket are not possible, so the England dream has slowly been ground out of me over the past year.”

Wood, who plays county cricket for Durham in the north of England, said playing for his country was a “dream come true.”

“The little lad in me would be so chuffed to have played so much for England,” he said. “To travel the world, meet incredible people and play against the best, is something I feel incredibly lucky to have done, doing something I have loved.”

Wood finishes his 11-year international career with 119 wickets from 38 tests and 54 wickets in 38 T20s, with nine coming in England’s World Cup-winning campaign in Australia in 2022. Of his 80 wickets in 70 ODIs, 18 came at the 2019 World Cup where he topped speeds of 95 mph as England won the 50-over trophy for the first time.

Rob Key, managing director of England men’s cricket, said Wood “thrilled crowds every time he got the ball in his hand.”