Mark Wood to miss backend of IPL 2023 for LSG: Reports

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) speedster Mark Wood is expected to be unavailable for the backend of the IPL 2023 season as he may leave for England in the coming weeks for the birth of his second child.

According to reports from ESPNCricinfo, Mark Wood and his wife Sarah are expecting their second child in late May and the speedster will be flying back to his homeland to be there with his family. Although Wood has missed the last two games due to illness, his absence could be a massive blow to LSG's chances.

In just four games, Wood has picked up a staggering 11 wickets and has been that enforcer for the Super Giants in the middle overs. Although Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq has been impressive in Wood's absence, the latter's raw pace and accuracy make him the X-factor Lucknow will miss.

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Apart from Mark Wood, most other English players likely to play whole IPL season

Despite the Ashes this summer, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are not making it mandatory to call back all their players from the IPL before the tournament ends.

As per reports from ESPNCricinfo, the board has assured the BCCI that their players will be a part of the league till the end. The only possible exception in this case apart from Mark Wood could be Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star Ben Stokes.

England's Test captain had said a few weeks ago that he was keen on playing the one-off Test against Ireland beginning on June 1 as a preparation for the Ashes. This means that he could consider leaving in the final stages of the IPL, something which hasn't been decided yet.

Another England player whose workload has been monitored by the ECB is Jofra Archer. The speedster has played just a couple of games for Mumbai Indians (MI) so far and is likely not to be rushed back for the first Ashes Test as per reports.