6 hours ago
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Pace bowler Mark Wood is irritated by a "golf, golf, golf" narrative around the England team, but admits they do not help themselves by saying "dumb" things in the media.
A number of England's players have made no secret of their love of golf, leading to accusations they do not train enough, particularly from former captain Kevin Pietersen during the white-ball tour of India earlier this year.
The perception has not been helped by comments made to the press by some members of the squad, leading to managing director Rob Key saying in March they need to "stop talking rubbish".
Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Wood said: "Sometimes we've been so, how can I say this? Naive, a bit dumb in the things we say in the press.
"We'll say things in the dressing room and that is in the dressing room. It should stay there. Then we come out in the press and we'll say an off-the-cuff one-liner that maybe a group of lads have been talking about, then it's in the press, then it looks like we're Billy Big Boots, above our station. I don't particularly like that. We've got to be respectful."
Wood, 35, did not give specific examples and said: "I'm not kicking off at the other players."
Pietersen's comments on training came during a tour of India when England lost a T20 series 4-1 and the one-day internationals 3-0 and, speaking to The Telegraph earlier this month, he said: "I stand by every word."
Without referring to Pietersen specifically, Wood said: "One thing that does bother me is this narrative of 'golf, golf, golf'.
"I don't play golf. I don't like it. It's not a game for me. I know the lads enjoy it and that's their time off. At times it's as if the golf is more important, and that is not true at all.
"I cannot stress enough that when we're at training, especially under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, we train hard.
"The lads don't take it for granted that we play for England. This narrative of "oh, well, we'll play golf, this is the best gig in the world", I can understand people's frustration with it, but I'm telling you, people genuinely care and work hard.
"I'm there to win for England. That's what makes me feel uncomfortable, this narrative that we don't care. It hurts when we get beat. The quotes that come from the team sometimes, we can definitely improve that, because it doesn't then come across about how people are truly feeling."
Wood will miss the early part of the summer after having knee surgery in March. Initially ruled out four months, the Durham man said he is still hopeful of playing some part in the Test series against India, which concludes at the end of July.
"I would hope to try to play a couple of games in July for Durham, then put myself forward for the England stuff, but that's a long way away to look," he said.
"A rehab road is never an upward curve, there are bumps in it. I'm still aiming for a Test or two at the end of that India series if I can get my body in a good place. At the minute that's quite a long way off to give a definite answer."
England begin their home summer with a one-off Test against Zimbabwe at the end of May. A squad will be named on Friday, with uncapped Essex seamer Sam Cook expected to be included.
