England pacer Jofra Archer has joined the defending champions training camp ahead of their important game against South Africa on Saturday. The 2019 World Cup-winning pacer was not named in England’s 15-men squad for the World Cup in India after failing to recover from injury.
Jofra Archer has suffered from several elbow and back conditions in recent times. The right-arm pacer, however, is listed as a travelling reserve and might be added to the squad if the English team experiences any injury concerns in the upcoming weeks. Archer is still not in his best physical condition and he is anticipated to practice with the English team in India.
The England speedster last played in a competitive cricket match representing the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League 2023. But owing to an injury, he was compelled to leave the contest in the middle of the tournament.
His absence also hinted at a potential shift in the defending champions’ bowling lineup before the ODI World Cup, which left Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Mark Wood, and Reece Topley in charge of directing the fast-bowling attack and the England Pacers were off-colour so far in the tournament failing to make a significant impact for the team in the marquee event.
Jofra Archer’s bowling was a key component of England’s World Cup-winning campaign in 2019. He took 20 wickets with an average of 24.55 throughout 11 games at a brilliant economy rate of 4.77 in England’s World Cup winning run under the leadership of Eoin Morgan and also bowled the match-winning super over against New Zealand in 2019.
The 69-run defeat at the hands of Afghanistan in Delhi ought to have rocked the world champions’ camp. Following their overwhelming opening-game loss to the 2019 ODI World Cup runners-up New Zealand, England is currently situated sixth on the points chart.
Two of England’s three games have already ended in losses and the defending championship would look to turn things around in the remaining games of the mega event.
Jos Buttler-led side would look to put their best foot forward to make it into the final four stages of the tournament. The game against Proteas on Saturday would be crucial for the England side in the World Cup, as a defeat in the clash would put them in a spot of bother of losing the first three games out of their four matches played in the tournament.
