England’s pace attack gets deeper and sharper now as Jofra Archer has finally joined England’s training camp ahead of their pivotal World Cup fixture against the red-hot South Africans at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Archer returned to the Three Lions’ training camp after the IPL 2023, where he played only 5 matches for Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2023 and had to rush out to Belgium to get elbow surgery after a stress fracture resurfaced.
Look who’s here @JofraArcher has joined up with the group in India to continue with his recovery Welcome, Jof ❤️ #EnglandCricket | #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/TO5v7M6r0E
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 19, 2023
Injuries have rather plagued Archer the entire year, as a plethora of back and elbow issues arose often, putting the English pacer out of international action for most of 2023.
His injury ruled him out of making the provisional 15-man-squad for the World Cup and subsequently, lead to the onus of leading the pace attack on the likes of newcomers Mark Wood and Reece Topley.
ICC World Cup: Schedule | Results | Points Table | Most Runs | Most Wickets
In fact, he was added on to the squad not as a member, but as a travelling reserve due to his condition. But, rest assured, he means more to the English side than just a back-up option.
Archer has been one of, if not, the strike bowler for England. Archer’s inclusion in the 2019 World Cup squad came at Willey’s expense and the Bridgetown-born quick subsequently bowled the Super Over in the final at Lord’s as England were crowned champions.
He took 20 wickets across 11 matches at an average of 24.55. He was miserly, as he conceded runs at an economy rate of only 4.77, across the tournament.
But, since finding his success in the 2019 World Cup, injuries have marred Archer’s career so far.
It was even stated that a lack of thoughtful load-management was the reason behind Archer’s injury-prone nature.
Former cricketer Ian Bishop had heavily criticised ECB for the same and in a passionate rant had called it madness from the board’s side.
“There was a period when Jofra was over bowled. I sat there watching it, and I’m thinking: what madness is this that you are going to give this guy over after over? You almost – I’m sorry to use this statement; I don’t know how else to say it – you are killing the goose that lays the golden egg for you,” Bishop had said.
But, now Archer seems to be fully fit and geared up for an England side that is in desperate need of some magic to revive their World Cup campaign.
READ: Explained: Richard Kettleborough’s Controversial Decision To Not Award A Wide Off Nasum Ahmed When Virat Kohli Was On 97
England have already faced two losses in their first three games of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign, putting the defending champions in a precarious position in the table.
They will also be butting heads with a fiery-hot South African side, whose deep batting order with their aggressive score-first mentality prove to be one of the most threatening batting lineups in the tournament this year.
Comments
0 comment