Returning England pacer in contention for Pakistan T20Is to prove T20 World Cup fitness
Jofra Archer could make a long-awaited return during the four-match T20I series at home against Pakistan in late May.
England's managing director of men's cricket Rob Key is hopeful that Jofra Archer could return to action against Pakistan in time to prove his fitness for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Archer has faced a challenging period, sidelined by numerous injuries over the past few years. England has taken a cautious approach to his rehabilitation, but there are signs of progress. After an 11-month hiatus, there is hope that Archer could soon make a comeback to competitive cricket when England face Pakistan in four T20Is, starting 22 May.
"Absolutely," Key told Sky Sports News when asked if Archer is in contention for a spot in England’s T20 World Cup squad. "Jofra, he's been out on Sussex's pre-season out in India. He bowled quickly out there, he bowled really well.
"He's now just gone back in the Caribbean, where he is going to play a little bit of club cricket, stuff like that - all about getting himself ready for that World T20. He'll play hopefully the Pakistan series. But it's always fingers crossed at the moment with Jofra."
Since 2021, Jofra Archer has encountered a series of setbacks, starting with elbow issues in March, followed by a freak fish tank accident that required surgery to remove glass from a tendon in his right hand.
In August 2021, scans unveiled a stress fracture in his right elbow, forcing him out of action for the remainder of the year. His recovery faced another setback in May 2022 when he suffered another stress fracture, this time in his back, sidelining him for the entire season.
Archer made a comeback against South Africa in January 2023 and participated in ODIs and T20Is against Bangladesh in March. He also featured in the Indian Premier League for the Mumbai Indians but was forced to withdraw after just six games due to discomfort in his right elbow.
Now nearing a return, Key is eager to see Archer back in action across all formats. However, he emphasized the importance of England being cautious in reintegrating him fully into competitive cricket.
"What we're going to do is take it slower than trying to go too quickly so that we get him back for not just a short period, we get him back for a long period. And the whole plan with Jofra is he's going to play white-ball cricket for this summer and going into the winter.
"Then hopefully next summer, when we play India, then into the Ashes, we get him back for Test cricket. It's a slow process just to get him back for all forms."
The return of Archer could prove to be a huge boost for the defending champions, not just as a leader of the pace attack but also for the experience he would bring, particularly in the absence of Ben Stokes, who has opted out of the T20 World Cup to focus on his long-term bowling fitness.
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Archer played a pivotal role in England's historic 2019 World Cup victory, securing 20 wickets – the highest for England and the third-highest overall. However, injuries have sidelined him from all white-ball ICC events since then.
England's campaign kicks off on 4 June against Scotland in Barbados, where they find themselves in Group B alongside Australia, Namibia and Oman.