England pacer Jofra Archer eyes a comeback after a long injury layoff and it couldn’t be delighting for the team ahead of the 50-over World Cup. As the Three Lions will look to defend their title next year in India, Archer hopes to get fit and join the team.
Archer has been away from action since the five-match T20I series in India in March 2021 and had gone under the knife thrice; first on his hand to remove a shard of glass, and two on his troublesome right elbow. He was ruled out of the entire English season after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his lower back.
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On Wednesday, Archer bowled nine overs across two spells in England versus England Lions warm-up match at Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi. The right arm-quick even hit Zak Crawley on the helmet with a sharp bouncer right in his first over.
“I am so, so glad to be back and this is a big year, we just won the T20, and we have the 50-over coming up so, hopefully, I get a chance to help defend the title. That (50-over World Cup) is the goal,” Archer was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
For now, Archer is happy to be back in the mix for England and feels he needs to work a bit harder to be fully fit.
“Being back here in Abu Dhabi, in and around the guys, it is kind of heart-warming, it makes you feel like you are at home again, seeing all the familiar faces, seeing all the boys again.
“I still don’t think I am 100 per cent as yet; I still need to do some more work to get the body back up and fit and firing. But in the short-term, just to be fit is the most important thing,” he added.
Archer admitted that he had some pain afterwards after bowling nine overs in the practice match, largely due to coming back after a lot of time on the sidelines.
“This morning, it kind of felt like a bus hit me but that is a good feeling. I was glad to get a run-out, especially with the boys. It is almost like being back playing with them. There are some restrictions…. the coach and the physio said I could use my discretion with how much I wanted to bowl. I think I did enough for a first run out,” he concluded.
(WIth Agency Inputs)
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