England Aiming for Archer’s Return for T20 World Cup Defense
The T20 World Cup champions England are optimistic to have fast bowler Jofra Archer back for the T20 World Cup in June, team’s managing director Rob Key revealed.
Archer, 28, has been sidelined since May due to a recurring elbow injury. However, he trained with the England white-ball team in the Caribbean recently and impressed Key.
“Our plan is the T20 World Cup, building him up slowly,” Key said. “He looked sharp in the Caribbean. I saw him bowl in the Caribbean and it was like he’d never been away.”
Archer’s career has been hampered by injuries in recent years. He hasn’t played international cricket since the 2022 IPL and missed the home summer due to his elbow issue. Despite his absence, he secretly played for his former school team in Barbados during England’s tour of the West Indies.
Archer has battled injuries for three years, missing significant cricket at the highest level. England carefully manages his workload to prevent setbacks.
While Key initially suggested Archer might join the Test team in Abu Dhabi, the bowler is currently absent. England opens their T20 World Cup title defense against Scotland on June 3rd in the West Indies and USA.
Key emphasized the importance of dedicated windows for Test cricket in the international calendar, citing South Africa’s makeshift Test squad for New Zealand due to scheduling conflicts with their domestic T20 competition.
“Test cricket needs windows,” Key said, proposing potential dedicated periods like the two-month window used for the Ashes last summer. He urged cricket authorities to prioritize Test cricket and promote its development globally.
Talking about Archer’s IPL commitment, Key said, “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.”
Key also advocated for selecting talented players for Test cricket regardless of their experience or conventional playing style.
England Matches at T20 World Cup 2024
| June 4, Tuesday | England vs Scotland | Group B | Barbados |
| June 8, Saturday | Australia vs England | Group B | Barbados |
| June 13, Thursday | England vs Oman | Group B | Antigua and Barbuda |
| June 15, Saturday | Namibia vs England | Group B | Antigua and Barbuda |
