Jofra Archer. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
In what comes as a piece of great news for defending champions England, former assistant coach Paul Farbrace revealed that star quick Jofra Archer is on track to make a full recovery from injury in time to compete at this year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. The marquee event is set to begin on October 5 at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium where England will take on New Zealand.
In the most recent 50-over competition, which took place in 2019, Archer, the right-hand pacer, claimed 20 wickets to rank among the top wicket-takers. He was instrumental in helping England win their first championship title in the history of the ODI World Cup as they overcame New Zealand in a nail-biting final.
But Archer has struggled with injuries for a good portion of the past few years. The 28-year-old most recently represented his nation in white-ball tours of South Africa and Bangladesh at the beginning of this year, but a back injury in the month of May prevented him from playing in the ongoing Ashes series against Australia.
But Farbrace, who mentors Archer at County side Sussex and was a crucial part of England’s preparation for their World Cup victory in 2019, says the tall fast-bowler is recuperating well and is expected to compete in this year’s competition in India.
“He is going well. I think he is on course for the World Cup, which is fantastic news. He is going nicely. I think England will need to work out how to get the best out of him over the next few years if he is to go to that next Ashes series (in 2025),” Farbrace told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Since his appearance against India in Ahmedabad in 2021, Archer hasn’t taken part in a Test match for England, but Farbrace is certain that the right-armer is still capable of representing his nation in all three formats. However, Farbrace thinks England must design a course that supports Archer’s fitness maintenance if he is to eliminate his persistent injury fears and stay fit in the future.