England’s managing director, Rob Key, has confirmed that Jofra Archer is in contention for the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled for June in the West Indies and the USA.
Archer, who has been absent from England’s lineup for over a year, is also in the mix for selection in the T20I series against Pakistan next month.
The 29-year-old has faced a string of injuries over the past three years, including stress fractures.
Since March 2021, he has only represented England on seven occasions and appeared in just five IPL matches for the Mumbai Indians last year, where he managed to secure only a couple of wickets.
“Jofra has been training with Sussex in India during the preseason, showing good pace and form,” Key revealed to Sky Sports.
“He has now returned to the Caribbean to participate in some club cricket, all in preparation for the T20 World Cup.
While we hope to see him in action during the Pakistan series, we must remain cautiously optimistic regarding Jofra’s fitness.”
Despite the setbacks, England remains optimistic about Archer’s potential return to his prime form.
He was designated as a traveling reserve for last year’s ODI World Cup in India and was awarded a two-year contract by the ECB.
However, Key emphasized the importance of a gradual approach to avoid exacerbating Archer’s injury concerns.
“Our strategy is to proceed cautiously to ensure Jofra’s sustained availability, rather than rushing his return only for short-term gain,” Key emphasized.
Key also confirmed that Archer will not feature in Test cricket this year, with the focus solely on white-ball cricket in 2024.
However, the target is set for Archer to make his Test return against India in the summer of 2025.
“The plan for Jofra is to focus on white-ball cricket this summer and through the winter,” Key explained.
“Then, hopefully, by next summer, when we face India and the Ashes, we will have him back for Test cricket.
It’s a gradual process aimed at ensuring his full recovery across all formats.”
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