English paceman Mark Wood is hopeful his body can hold up to the rigours of bowling over 150 kp/h across the upcoming World Cup after returning from elbow surgery.
The veteran bowler will be a key prong in England's attack for the T20 tournament, adding unmatched pace as Matthew Mott's side use Australia's title defence.
Wood made his return from a lengthy layoff due to an elbow issue, having been required to go under the knife and facing delays in his return.
The 32-year-old didn't look out of touch in his nation's 63-run win over Pakistan last week, taking three wickets for a return of 25 runs from four overs.
While the display was one to buoy Wood's prospects for the World Cup, the Ashington product has revealed the performance has left him significantly fatigued.
"I feel tired. It's my first game since March for England and I've played one game for my club team Ashington, so this has been a long time," Wood said, via AAP.
"You tend to be a bit fresh after seven months out, so that's what I'm going to put it down to. But I felt a bit tired at the end. I know it's a T20, but it's the intensity of international cricket.
"I've done loads of time in the gym, lots of running, but nothing is the same as playing a game."
Wood amassed a pair of deliveries that reached 156kp/h against Pakistan, showing no sign his recent ailment has impacted his pace.
The injury has left him needing to continue to build his fitness ahead of the World Cup, hoping to return to his best for England's trophy push.
"The challenge now is to back it up - can I keep those speeds going? Apparently I live on an ice machine now, so I'll be on that ice machine," Wood said.
"What's important for me is not to go too hard now and then I'm not ready for Australia. I've got to peak at the right time so when it comes to the World Cup I'm fit and firing.
"Today was a good day. When you haven't played for a while the adrenaline is flying, it's like a debut. The crowd was flying. But the challenge next time is, can I repeat that?"
England will begin their World Cup campaign on Saturday, October 22 against Afghanistan at Optus Stadium in Perth.
