Jofra Archer is hoping to use next month’s T20 series against Pakistan to prove his fitness for England’s World Cup defence in the Caribbean in June, according to ECB managing director Rob Key.
Archer last played international cricket over a year ago, since when he has been sidelined by a long-standing elbow injury.
And Key warned he was unlikely to return to Test cricket until 2025, when England face five-match series against both India and Australia.
But Key insisted his participation in this summer’s T20 World Cup was ‘absolutely’ realistic, following Archer’s successful pre-season trip to India with his Sussex team-mates.
‘He bowled quickly out there, really well,’ Key told Sky Sports. ‘He has now gone back to the Caribbean where he’s going to play a bit of club cricket, all looking to get himself ready for the T20 World Cup. He’ll hopefully play in the series against Pakistan (in May), but it’s always fingers-crossed at the moment with Jofra.’
England fast bowler Jofra Archer (above) last played international cricket over a year ago
Archer, who has just turned 29, has played only two Tests since the end of the 2020 summer because of injury.
‘We’re going to take it slower so that we get him back for not just a short period but for a long period,’ said Key.
‘The plan is he’s going to play white-ball cricket this summer and going into the winter. Then hopefully next summer, when we play India and then into the Ashes later that year, we get him back for Test cricket. It’s a slow process to get him back for all formats.’
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