England Cricketer Chris Woakes for The Wizard

Two-time world champion, Ashes Player of the Series, County Championship winner and one of England's finest all-rounders of the modern era joins us for his gripping and insightful behind-the-scenes memoir The Wizard.

Chris Woakes was born and brought up in Birmingham. After making his debut for Warwickshire in 2006, made his first appearance for England five years later. After a fourteen-year international career, he announced his retirement in the summer of 2025. A lifelong Aston Villa supporter, he lives in Birmingham with his wife, Amie and daughters, Laila and Evie.

Chris Woakes's fourteen years international career was defined by unforgettable victories, extraordinary resilience and an unwavering commitment to the team. Nothing embodied this more than his final appearance for England in the summer of 2025. With his arm in a sling after dislocating his shoulder on day one, he walked out to bat for his country for one last innings, earning a standing ovation that sealed his reputation as one of cricket's ultimate team players.

In The Wizard, Woakes takes readers behind the scenes, revealing what it takes to perform in the pressure-cooker of the international game. From the extraordinary drama of World Cup glory and Ashes triumph to the camaraderie, challenges and sacrifice that also shaped his career, he offers an honest, insightful and deeply personal account of an exceptional cricketing life, played out at the highest level.

Warm, thoughtful and refreshingly candid, The Wizard tells the story of a player whose game was never defined solely by the quality of his cricket, but by the quality of his character.