England’s Jofra Archer Eyes Comeback in Pakistan T20Is Ahead of T20 World Cup 2024
England’s managing director of men’s cricket, Rob Key, expresses optimism about Jofra Archer’s potential return to the cricket field in the upcoming Pakistan T20Is, a crucial step in proving his fitness for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Archer’s cricket career has been marred by a series of injuries in recent years. Despite the setbacks, England remains hopeful about his recovery. After an 11-month break, Archer is expected to return to competitive cricket in the four T20Is against Pakistan, commencing on 22 May.
Key, in his conversation with Sky Sports News, confirmed Archer’s potential inclusion in England’s T20 World Cup squad. He said, “Jofra has been training with Sussex’s pre-season team in India. His performance was impressive. He’s now in the Caribbean, playing club cricket and preparing for the World T20. We’re hopeful he’ll play the Pakistan series, but with Jofra, it’s always a waiting game.”
Archer’s journey since 2021 has been fraught with challenges. He suffered from elbow issues in March, followed by an accident involving a fish tank that necessitated surgery to remove glass from a tendon in his right hand. In August 2021, a stress fracture in his right elbow forced him to take a break for the rest of the year. His recovery was further delayed by another stress fracture, this time in his back, in May 2022.
Archer made a brief comeback against South Africa in January 2023 and played in ODIs and T20Is against Bangladesh in March. He also participated in the Indian Premier League for the Mumbai Indians but had to withdraw after six games due to discomfort in his right elbow.
As Archer nears his return, Key stresses the need for a cautious approach to his reintegration into competitive cricket. He said, “We’re going to take it slow to ensure Jofra’s return is not just for a short period, but for a long one. The plan is for him to play white-ball cricket this summer and into the winter. Hopefully, by next summer, we’ll have him back for Test cricket.”
Archer’s return could significantly boost the defending champions, especially in the absence of Ben Stokes, who has decided to skip the T20 World Cup to focus on his long-term bowling fitness.
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Archer played a crucial role in England’s historic 2019 World Cup victory, securing 20 wickets – the highest for England and the third-highest overall. However, injuries have kept him out of all white-ball ICC events since then.
England’s campaign begins on 4 June against Scotland in Barbados. They are in Group B, alongside Australia, Namibia, and Oman.