England fast bowler Jofra Archer has cautioned that he might find it challenging to deal with additional injury setbacks, saying: “I don’t know if I have another stop-start year in me”. Jofra Archer, who inked a two-year central contract with England back in October, hasn’t featured in a Test match since February 2021.
Jofra Archer will be hoping to make his England comeback ahead of the T20 World Cup, but the pacer also fears a possible retirement. With the T20 World Cup scheduled to begin on June 2, fans around the world will hope for some nail-biting cricket. As defending champions, England open their campaign on June 4, against Group B opponents Scotland. The England squad hasn’t been announced yet and pace sensation Jofra Archer will be hoping to be included in Jos Buttler’s plans for the upcoming tournament.
Jofra Archer a fast bowling sensation whose career in marred with injuries.
Considered to be one of the fastest pacers in cricket history, Jofra Archer missed the entire 2022 English summer due to a back issue and was then sidelined due to a stress fracture on his elbow. He has been absent from Test and first-class cricket since 2021. He had surgery on April 23, which was also his fifth on his right elbow in two years.
His career has been plagued by injuries, with the 29-year-old Sussex paceman sidelined for the entirety of last year’s home season due to a stress fracture in his right elbow.
However, Jofra Archer, who gained widespread recognition in 2019 for his crucial role in the Super Over that secured England’s victory over New Zealand in the 50-over World Cup final, is currently on the path to recovery. He harbors aspirations of participating in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the United States and the Caribbean in June.
Jofra Archer will be aiming to make into the England squad for the upcoming T20 series against Pakistan at the end of May, which could help him prove his fitness ahead of the T20 World Cup.
England’s sensational fast bowler Jofra Archer ponders about retirement if not given a chance in ICC WT20
Jofra Archer will be aiming to make into the England squad for the upcoming T20 series against Pakistan at the end of May, which could help him prove his fitness ahead of the T20 World Cup. Speaking on The Athlete’s Voice, Archer said, “I haven’t played cricket for a whole 12 months as yet.”
“Last year I played from January to May. I think the year before that, I played maybe one or two games for Sussex, so you know I’ve had a whole year of nothing.
Hinting at a possible retirement, he said, “It’s been a while and honestly, I don’t know if I’ve got another stop-start year in me. That’s the truth, I don’t know if I’ve got another one.”
“Come June 1 I really do want to be in the team. I really do want to be playing back at home, in front of my family and probably in front of… I know it’s not dog friendly in the Caribbean as much as it is here in the UK, but I’d love my family and my dogs at that first game back,” he further added.
Earlier this month, England cricket chief Rob Key protectively ruled Archer out of playing a Test match again until 2025 at the earliest but said the T20 World Cup was a realistic goal for the paceman.
Archer too would love to help England defend their title but was cautious about his prospects.
“Come the first game in June I really do want to be in the team,” said Archer.
“The last two years have been really stop-start, so I just think that, you know, everyone’s going to just take it a bit easy. “Worst-case scenario, I don’t really want to think about this, but even if I don’t make it to the World Cup for whatever reason, there’s still the T20 Blast, there’s still The Hundred.”
England are taking a cautious approach with his latest return, taking an early decision to withdraw him from the Indian Premier League and pre-emptively ruling him out of the rigors of Test cricket until next year. Instead they hope to unleash Jofra Archer in familiar territory in the West Indies, where they will look to defend their 20-over crown and Jofra Archer will look to play atleast one world cup for his country England .