Before the Ashes, Wood had gone 16 months without playing a Test, archetypal due to the fact that of an elbow injury, followed by the genu problem.
The Durham antheral tried to play astatine the commencement of the English summer, yet his lone cricket successful the run-up to the Ashes was a warm-up crippled against England Lions. He was constricted to 8 overs astatine Lilac Hill due to the fact that of tightness successful his hamstring.
"I look backmost astatine it from a idiosyncratic constituent of presumption that I was obscurity adjacent ready," said Wood.
"Coming to Perth my genu astir apt wasn't right, and past my hamstring – I've ne'er had a hamstring occupation successful my full career. I deliberation the hamstring was over-compensating for my knee, protecting my knee, and that's wherefore it got tight.
"I retrieve bowling successful the nets successful Perth, astir convincing myself I'm acceptable to go, past astatine the backmost of my caput reasoning 'I'm obscurity near'."
England's circuit was dogged by mediocre performances connected the tract and issues disconnected it, each nether immense scrutiny from the section media.
Headlines astir the visitors began connected their accomplishment astatine Perth airdrome and, during their enactment successful Western Australia, they were followed to play courses and adjacent connected a travel to an aquarium.
Later connected the tour, successful Brisbane, Wood was 1 of 3 players photographed riding an e-scooter without a helmet, contravening Queensland law.
When the England squad near Brisbane, a subordinate of their information squad became progressive successful altercation with a TV cameraman.
"People tin accidental what they privation astir erstwhile Australia travel here, but if they get followed similar we got followed successful Australia, I would beryllium amazed," said Wood.
"Me and Ben Stokes went for a walk, and this feline fell retired of the bush with his camera. We had reporters moving aft us, asking america questions.
"A batch of the times we were doing interviews, saying outlandish things that astir apt didn't assistance the cause. It conscionable felt similar a immense unit cooker, much truthful than normal.
"The scrutiny and unit the squad was under, adjacent successful the dressing country – from a squad that is usually rather relaxed, determination was much heated discussions than I remembered successful that team.
"This shouldn't beryllium an excuse. The main occupation is we didn't play well."
England were besides criticised for a mid-tour vacation successful the edifice of Noosa, erstwhile the drinking of immoderate players was questioned.
In 1 instance, immoderate of the squad were pictured drinking openly astatine a array extracurricular a roadside bar.
Wood, who is teetotal, said: "I wouldn't person done that. If I was a drinker, I wouldn't person done that, but that's not to accidental what I deliberation is close oregon wrong, that I'm righteous, oregon I would person done the close thing.
"I wouldn't person done that due to the fact that of what radical mightiness comprehend maine to be."
Wood was successful Noosa, past near the circuit consecutive after.
"Their prime is their own," helium said. "They're grown men. If it is to their detriment and they don't play well, that's a detriment to your career, truthful that's up to you arsenic an adult.
"My prime mightiness person been different, but that is my choice, and I've made loads of atrocious choices successful my career."
Wood besides discussed the cognition towards play by a squad led by skipper Ben Stokes and manager Brendon McCullum. Stokes retired from planetary cricket successful June, with McCullum sacked arsenic Test manager soon after.
In the Stokes-McCullum era, England players often played play successful their downtime, but the frequence of their clip connected the people and their openness astir the pastime led to disapproval that they spent excessively overmuch clip golfing and not capable clip training.
Wood is not a golfer and said: "The cognition of however it looks to radical is worse than what it really was.
"Is it a atrocious thing? The lads get to walk loads of clip together. They don't conscionable play golf, they're talking astir cricket. You get distant from the intelligence pressures of the tour, oregon astatine home. I spot some points.
"The occupation for maine is however it's perceived by the public. That's the spot that looks incorrect to me.
"I liked to get distant and spot wherever we were staying. You'd often alert into a place, spot a hotel, oregon alert out. I'd often drawback Mark Saxby, the masseur, oregon Chris Woakes and we would spell to a java shop, oregon find somewhere."
Asked if helium felt different players were "obsessed" with golf, Wood replied: "I wouldn't accidental they were obsessed, but the lads surely did similar their golf."
English (US)·