Former England superstar, Andrew Flintoff is a great admirer of Jofra Archer and has urged the England team management to literally drop anyone in order to accommodate the sensational all-rounder in the 2019 World Cup squad. It was just last week that Jofra Archer made his international debut for England.
In his ODI and T20I debut, he showed signs of his skills and temperament in the highest form of the game. The Barbados born fast bowler finally got an opportunity to appear for England after serving a three year residency period.
Archer can consistently clock upto 145 km/hr and has some exceptional slower deliveries up his sleeve. After a great season with both bat and the ball for the Rajasthan Royals, He also had a good debut for England and will look to push for a World Cup squad during the upcoming ODI series against Pakistan. The series will start on Wednesday at the Oval.
Andrew Flintoff stated that he was a huge fan of the “unbelievable Archer. “I was watching him bowl the other day and I found it so frustrating that a bloke can bowl so fast with what looks like so little effort,” Andrew Flintoff told reporters in London on Tuesday.
England will look to win their opening World Cup title. They were unceremoniously knocked out of the 2015 edition of the tournament after losing to Bangladesh. They also lost their group match to Bangladesh during the 2011 World Cup. However, England has gained from strength to strength ever since the 2015 World Cup.
Ever since Jofra Archer came into reckoning for World Cup qualification, there have been several English cricketers who felt it isn’t the right move especially for the player who will have to make way for Archer. However, Andrew Flintoff feels that there was no reason to overlook the speedster for loyalty to existing players.
“You ask who I would get rid of? Anyone,” he added at an event to publicise the official World Cup song, ‘Stand By’ by Loryn and Rudimental. “I think he’s brilliant. I know there’s a thing about him qualifying but we’ve done that for a number of years.
“When I was a kid we were watching Robin Smith (born in South Africa) and were waiting on Graeme Hick (born in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe) to play (for England). We’ve had KP (Kevin Pietersen, born in South Africa) so it’s not a new thing,” said the 41-year-old Flintoff.
“But watching the lad bowl,” he said of Archer “For someone to bowl that quick so easily, with so much control, all the tricks — slower balls, bouncers, yorkers — he’s got to be in hasn’t he?”