Daily Times

Fingers crossed. That was the common expression used about Jofra Archer by Rob Key, the managing director of England’s men´s cricket, when he announced the squad for the Twenty20 World Cup.

Key spoke for Archer, England and it supporters as he hoped the sleek paceman capable of bowling speeds of 95 mph (152 kph) will not only make the starting line of the tournament in the Caribbean and the U.S., but also stay fit for however long England’s title defense lasts.

Following his stunning international debut in the summer of 2019, Archer has spent long and regular stints on the injured list. England changed its eligibility rules in time for the Barbados-born Archer to help the team in 2019 win its first Cricket World Cup in the 50-over format and draw the Ashes test series at home against Australia.

Then elbow and back issues limited his appearances. He missed the next two Ashes series and hasn’t played a test in three years; since the 2019 World Cup final he’s played only seven one-day internationals; and he hasn’t played a Twenty20 in more than a year. He has missed the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups and the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Archer’s health issues wore him down so much he questioned his desire to keep playing.