Barbadian fast bowler Jofra Archer is being eyed for a return to international cricket at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup later this year which is being co-hosted in the Caribbean and United States.
While speaking on the Tailenders podcast on Tuesday which is commissioned by the BBC [British Broadcasting Corporation], England’s managing director Rob Key outlined the plan for Archer. “Our plan [for Archer] is to have him back for the T20 World Cup. We are building him up slowly. I saw him bowl in the Caribbean last year and it was like he’d never been away.”
England will defend the T20 World Cup they won in 2021 at this year’s tournament, opening their campaign against Scotland on June 3.
The 28-year-old last played a competitive match in May 2023 for the Mumbai Indians in last season’s Indian Premier League (IPL) but has since been out injured after a return of the stress fracture in his right elbow caused him to miss a second successive home summer.
He was also involved in a bit of controversy when he played for Foundation in the winter of 2023 without the England’s hierarchy’s knowledge or blessing. However, Key made light of the situation when asked about it on the podcast.
“I was asked in the media about him and I was saying we have to be so careful with him, we don’t want to rush him because we wanted to get him ready for the Pakistan T20 series in May and one of the journalists said did you know he just played a club game the other day and I was sat there looking like a complete moron,” Key said before laughing.
He said “I think he’s going to bowl at the Test boys in Abu Dhabi [on the ongoing training camp before the Test tour of India later this month] and then hopefully then if we take it slower it will be alright. I don’t want to get back to this thing where he plays and then goes down again. He wanted to play in the IPL but we said not this time. Hopefully, the years he has missed he can add to the end of his career. He is such a talent and I love watching him bowl. He’s as good as anyone.”
The public backing of Archer from Key was also shown in a tangible form when Archer received a two year Central Contract from the England Cricket Board on October 1, 2023, despite being out injured for long periods.
Archer last played for England in the T20 series against Bangladesh, which England lost 3-0. He also took part in the victorious One Day International Series win over Bangladesh which ended 2-1, as England became the first team to beat Bangladesh in ODI cricket in their backyard since 2016.
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