Fearsome England fast bowler Jofra Archer claimed his first red-ball wicket in four years, marking a significant milestone as he prepares for the upcoming Ashes series. Using a Kookaburra ball for the first time in his professional career, Archer showcased his readiness to re-enter red-ball cricket after a long injury hiatus.
English cricket officials have introduced the Kookaburra for the second half of the county season, replacing the traditional Dukes ball. The move aims to familiarize players with the ball ahead of the highly anticipated Ashes series in Australia.
Archer, who famously troubled Australian batsmen during the 2019 Ashes, has been sidelined by injuries since May 2021. Now 30, he demonstrated his progress with Sussex, taking a wicket during his second spell and finishing with figures of 1-28 from 14 overs, including six maidens. This performance signifies a notable increase in workload for Archer, who is strongly favored by England captain Ben Stokes for the upcoming campaign.
“Now I know my body can handle it, the mental part of the game is the bigger challenge,” Archer told BBC Radio Sussex. “Over the next few days, I’ll be battling with it. But it’s all good. I’ll keep pushing forward.”
He added, “When the scoreboard reached 50 overs, I thought, ‘It’s time to come off,’ but by the end of the day, it wasn’t that bad.”
Archer last played for England in a Test match in February 2021. Expressing his confidence, he said, “I guess so. I just want to get through the game. I’m glad I finished a day of four-day cricket.”
England captain Ben Stokes has also spoken about Archer’s strong desire to rejoin the Test team, describing him as “absolutely desperate” to make a comeback. Stokes revealed Archer occasionally messages him about potential selection, jokingly asking, “Zim?” a reference to Zimbabwe, hinting at Archer’s eagerness to return to international cricket.
+ There are no comments
Add yours