I’m not one for being centre of attention: Woakes

Manchester, Aug 3 (IANS) England fast bowler Chris Woakes on Monday stated he doesn’t mind being the team’s unsung hero as long as he keeps performing for the national team.

Woakes was the second-highest wicket-taker in the recently-concluded #raisethebat Test series against West Indies but veteran fast-bowler Stuart Broad’s Man of the Series performance overshadowed him.

Former captain Alec Stewart had earlier said Woakes has been England’s unsung hero on home soil for a while now and his performances go unnoticed. Woakes, however, stated it doesn’t matter to him if he gets the plaudits or not and just wants go about his business.

“I honestly really don’t mind. I’m not one for being centre of attention,” he told reporters as per Sky Sports. “Don’t get me wrong, I want to go out on the field and perform and I want to make match-winning performances for England but it really doesn’t bother me if I’m first choice to write about or not, to be brutally honest.

“My stats have been mentioned and they’re very good in England, I want to keep working on those, keep improving on them and making them as good as they can be.

“At my age and where I am now at 31, it’s unlikely that I’m going to go on and get 500 Test wickets like Jimmy and Broady but I still want to go on and get as many as I can individually.

“I still feel like I can provide really good services to England for many more years to come so I’m happy with how it works and as long as I continue to be able to represent England then I’ll be happy,” he added.

Woakes is part of the unchanged England squad that will take on Pakistan in a series involving three Tests and as many T20Is. The first Test begins at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

–IANS

pks/bbh