Jofra Archer has been ruled out of the entire winter tours of England and there is a doubt whether he will be back playing cricket in the 2022 Summer.
Follow Us
Jofra Archer has been ruled out of cricket until the 2022 home summer season. The tall pacer, who played a vital role in England’s 2019 ICC World Cup triumph and the Ashes in 2019, has been troubled by stress fractures on his right elbow. According to the England and Wales Cricket Board statement, Archer underwent a second surgery on December 11 in London. This means that Jofra Archer will not be part of the England Test team for the West Indies series in March. There is also doubt as to whether Archer will play the home summer fixtures in June 2022.
Archer had the first surgery in May after stress fractures on his elbow derailed his career during the South Africa tour. He pulled out of the IPL and could not play the County Championship for Sussex. Archer’s last match was in March 2021 in a Twenty20 International against India in Ahmedabad.
With the latest injury setback, Jofra Archer now faces an uncertain future in his cricket career. Former England captain Michael Atherton has stated that the way back for Jofra Archer will be very difficult.
Writing in his column for The Times, Atherton said, “It was in August that the ECB announced that he had suffered a recurrence; that he has now undergone a second operation must be extremely concerning. He has played 13 Tests, 17 ODIs, and a dozen T20 internationals and is regarded as a critically important all-format bowler, but there must be a doubt now over his long-term effectiveness and whether he has a future across all three forms of the game.”
The unavailability of Jofra Archer has hurt England in the last 18 months. After his injury in the series against South Africa, he has sporadically appeared for England. His extreme pace was missing during the series against India and in the ongoing Ashes. After England lost 1-3 in India on dustbowls, they are currently trailing 1-2 in the five-Test series at home. In the Ashes, England is currently trailing 0-2 and is in danger of losing the Urn for the third straight time.
Read | Jofra Archer ruled out of IPL 2021
Archer was a vital member during England’s glorious 2019 period. He took 22 wickets in four Tests against Australia, which included a best of 6/45. The most memorable moment in that series was his duel with Steve Smith in Lord’s. Bowling close to 96 mph, Archer bowled a spell of hostility to Smith. In one instance, he hit Smith on the side of the helmet with a 90 mph bouncer. The batsman was felled but continued. Later, he could not continue and Marnus Labuschagne became the first concussion substitute.
Before the Ashes, Archer had played a pivotal role in the 2019 ICC World Cup triumph. He bowled the crucial Super Over that saw England win the ICC World Cup against New Zealand in dramatic circumstances. Archer’s exploits in the Ashes and World Cup confirmed his stature as one of the best players in the England set-up.
Rishabh Pant's explosive last-over blitz ignites IPL 2024 amid T20 World Cup comeback talks
