Archer to travel to Cricket World Cup with England as a reserve

09/18/2023 Сricket

Jofra Archer will travel with England’s Cricket World Cup squad to India as a reserve – with the fast bowler to step up his rehab after an elbow injury ruled him out of the Ashes

  • Jofra Archer has been named as a reserve in England’s Cricket World Cup squad
  • The bowler will continue fitness work in India and could feature in latter stages
  • Archer missed the entirety of the summer due to an elbow stress fracture

Jofra Archer is set to travel to the upcoming Cricket World Cup with England as a reserve. 

The fast bowler did not feature at all throughout the summer after suffering a stress fracture in his right elbow. 

Archer missed the entire Ashes series but did bowl in the nets ahead of England’s One Day International against New Zealand at the Oval last week. 

The 28-year-old was absent from the 15-man squad for the World Cup in India on Sunday, but England selector Luke Wright has confirmed he will travel with the team.

He said: ‘Jofra Archer will be travelling with the squad to India. He is one of the reserves but we also need to look after him, focus on his rehab.’

Jofra Archer has been named as a reserve for the 15-man England squad that will travel to India for the Cricket World Cup 

The fast bowler missed the entirety of the English summer due to a stress fracture in his right elbow

Archer was one of the stars of England’s maiden World Cup win in 2019, bowling the super over in the final against New Zealand.

He has been blighted by injuries since, going 22 months without featuring for England between 2021 and 2023. 

The Barbados-born bowler has remained committed to returning to international action though. 

Ahead of the ODI series against South Africa earlier this year, he said: ‘I know whenever I’m fully fit, I don’t think there’s much that can stop me, it’s just a matter of when that was going to be.’

Persistent issues with his elbow prevented Archer from trying to stop Australia retaining the Ashes, but is is possible that he could feature in the World Cup. 

In August, selector Wright believed it was possible for Archer to play in the latter stages of the tournament that gets underway in India next month but still urged caution.

Archer was a key part of the England team that won the Cricket World Cup on home soil in 2019

Injury issues have severely restricted his involvement for England, with the 28-year-old missing 22 months of international cricket between 2021 and 2023

He said: ‘There has got to be a duty of care with Jof. We know how desperate we all are to have him, but we’ve also got to get it right for him.

‘He’s been very unfortunate with these injuries, so we do have to get it right.’

After initially not being seleted, Harry Brook has been named in the 15-man squad as back spasms forced Jason Roy to miss the entirety of the 3-1 one day series win against New Zealand.

England’s first game of the tournament will see them take on the Black Caps in Ahmedabad on Thursday, October 5. 

England World Cup squad 

Jos Buttler (Lancashire – captain); Moeen Ali (Warwickshire); Gus Atkinson (Surrey); Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire); Harry Brook (Yorkshire); Sam Curran (Surrey); Liam Livingstone (Lancashire); Dawid Malan (Yorkshire); Adil Rashid (Yorkshire); Joe Root (Yorkshire); Ben Stokes (Durham); Reece Topley (Surrey); David Willey (Northamptonshire); Mark Wood (Durham); Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)

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