England pace bowling ace Jofra Archer believes that playing just one Test in the Ashes summer would be a success for him after his injury woes.
Archer: only one Ashes Test this summer would constitute a success
Jofra Archer feels playing in only one Ashes Test this summer would constitute a success, such is his wariness about overextending himself following a long injury lay-off.
England has a natural urge to unleash Archer against Australia. Especially as he seems to have lost none of the attributes that made him such an important weapon in the 2019 series between the two teams.
Archer is just a couple of months into his comeback from the well-chronicled elbow and back troubles
But the reality is Archer is just a couple of months into his comeback from the well-chronicled elbow and back troubles and. Even though he is making encouraging progress. England is proceeding with caution.
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He has been kept on a strict diet of limited-overs matches
He has been kept on a strict diet of limited-overs matches so far and England’s medical team warned not to field him in two ODIs in three days against both South Africa in January and Bangladesh last week.
When he will make his red-ball return is up in the air. After the final two T20 internationals against Bangladesh, Archer’s Indian Premier League commitments are set to occupy him up to the end of May.
England’s bid to regain the urn begins a couple of weeks after that but Archer would relish some involvement in the series. He is content to play the long game given England’s hectic fixture schedule.
“If I can play one game this summer, I’ll be happy,” he said. “If I play more than one, that’s just a bonus.
“Coming back and playing cricket for England again means I have already done what I wanted to do.
“I said 18 months ago I was going to be back. Now I’m back, hopefully, I have a long career, so it makes no sense to do too much, too soon.
Speaking ahead of the second T20I against the Tigers in Dhaka, however, Archer admitted he has had to adapt to the unresponsive surfaces he has been faced with in Bangladesh.
“To be honest, in Bangladesh I’m not going to be charging in trying to bowl 95mph,” he smiled.
2023 Qantas Ashes Tour of the UK
- First Test: Friday, June 16-Tuesday June 20, Edgbaston
- Second Test: Wednesday, June 28-Sunday July 2, Lord’s
- Third Test: Thursday, July 6-Monday July 10, Headingley
- FourthTest: Wednesday, July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford
- FifthTest: Thursday, July 27-Monday 31, The Oval
