Nottingham, Jun 12 (IANS): England's fast bowling allrounder Chris Woakes revealed that he is aiming for a return to cricketing action in the next three weeks.

Woakes has not played since England were defeated 1-0 in a three-match Test series by West Indies at Grenada in March this year after featuring in 2021 Men's T20 World Cup in the UAE and the Ashes in Australia.

Mark Robinson, the head coach of county side Warwickshire, where Woakes plays domestically, had in May refused to put a timescale on his return to competitive cricketing action, citing his struggles with knee and ankle. Woakes has taken 130 wickets at an average of 30.73 in 45 Test appearances apart from 1675 runs with the bat, including a century and six fifties.

"My body needed a bit of a break. The knee is the thing causing me most grief at the moment. It's been a tricky period of time, but it feels like it's turned a corner."

"I've got the ball back in my hand, albeit some very light bowling sessions, but I feel like competitive cricket isn't too far away. Personally, I'd like to be playing by the end of the month," said Woakes while making an appearance as a guest TV commentator during the second Test between England and New Zealand at Trent Bridge.

It also means that Woakes might possibly feature in Warwickshire's next County Championship match on June 26 at Northamptonshire. Despite the injury struggles, Woakes insisted that he has no plans to reduce his workload by prioritising either red or white-ball cricket.

"I still see myself as an all-format player - I'd like to do that as long as possible. I don't feel like I'm anywhere near the end."