"If I sneeze too hard it's going to be headlines" : Jofra Archer

[MenInG]

This whole week has been extremely tough and to spend five days in isolation has given me a lot of thinking time on where I am at.

To be stuck in a hotel room in Manchester was hard. You know you cannot focus on the game being played on the other side of the bedroom curtains and it was frustrating not being able make an impact on the field. I found I was struggling for motivation in the circumstances when it came to returning to bowling in the nets.

When I walked outside of my room for the first time since being placed into self-isolation for breaking the Covid-19 protocols, I heard the cameras clicking with every single step I took. The whole spectacle made me feel uneasy. I know what I did was an error of judgement and I have suffered the consequences of that. I haven't committed a crime and I want to start feeling myself again.

I spoke briefly to the doctor about how I'm feeling and also to Ben Stokes on Monday night. Ben tried to advise me on how to deal with being in the spotlight of international sport. He vowed to back me and support me. Now, I need to be 100 per cent mentally right so that I can throw myself into my cricket this week.

There is a series to win, and after the win in the second match it's there for the taking. We have got amazing depth in the squad, especially now no one is injured, so many options and therefore to do justice to myself and the rest of my team-mates I have to be ready when called upon. We have the firepower to win the match and achieve what we set out to.

To be straight, if I play and don't bowl 90 miles an hour it's going to be news. If I don't bowl 90 miles per hour for long enough it's going to be news. If I don't put my left sock on first, it's going to be news. I understand that is the scrutiny of playing at this level and being in that spotlight.

I give 100 per cent every time I go out there and I don't want to go out on the field unless I can guarantee doing that.

I have witnessed the expectations recently placed on Marcus Rashford. He is a wonderful, wonderful man. He leads talks with the government, gets hungry school kids fed and gets the rightful praise for that. Yet he has a bad few minutes on the football field and it's forgotten, and everyone is on him. Next time he pulls on an England shirt, no one will care about his efforts to do good.

The second innings in Southampton showed me how fickle cricket is. In the first innings, I hear I am this and that - over-rated. Then, the second innings comes, I do well and it's all 'he's a great player.' That's cricket. Some days are good, some are bad. No one is going to be amazing all the time. Sometimes I feel it's not a fair world - really and truly.

I think Ben used to suffer the same thing. That time has gone now because he has been so amazing for the last year to 18 months, so no one is going to have anything to say.

I don't know how he gets by without telling everyone off. He must have been so strong mentally to resist doing so.

When you are watching from a hotel room balcony it doesn't give you a particularly good perspective of what has happened, so because the coverage is always a ball or so delayed, I caught back up with it effectively in real time. Then, I would turn straight back off.

This week has showed me that whatever I do will be a focus of attention. If I sneeze too hard it's going to be headlines.

And I sense a lot of negativity. Whenever something cricket related is posted, the reaction tends to be: he's over-rated. It gets huge reactions from people. I have played eight Test matches. How can someone be over-rated that has played just eight games?

Over the last few days, I have unfollowed and muted a lot of social media profiles to get away from it. I won't be going back on it. I find it unnecessary noise. Take two wickets and everyone is back on the bandwagon again. It's a fickle, fickle world we live in.

Some of the abuse I have taken over the past few days on Instagram has been racist and I have decided that enough is enough. Since Wilfried Zaha, the Crystal Palace footballer, was abused by a 12-year-old online I drew a line and I will not allow anything to pass, so I have forwarded on my complaints to the ECB and that will go through the correct process.

Yes, I made a mistake in not driving to Old Trafford directly from Southampton between matches. But people make mistakes.

Between Test matches, I spoke to a member of the support staff about what I had done, not knowing whether it was the right thing to do. I understood that had to be escalated to senior management.

We knew we had to go to Manchester via certain points. I didn't. To me, home is home. A safe place. I picked some stuff up, dropped some stuff off. It was no big deal.

I accept that I put the other guys at risk. I did not follow the advice and therefore apologised to my team-mates, to the West Indies team and to everyone involved in the series.

Now I have done my time, it's over, and I am trying to move on. I accepted my punishment of a match fee fine at the disciplinary hearing on Friday evening and it was pretty painless.

The only people that have amplified things are outside the bubble on social media. I could not believe what I was reading in one newspaper. Someone said they saw me on a scooter. My scooter stopped working in December. It's been flat for seven months now. That was utter foolishness to suggest such a thing.

It wasn't a pleasant experience to be confined to my hotel room for five days even though I had my Xbox and workout stuff with me so I could make the most of a bad situation.

But most of my team-mates showed their support by getting in touch. I played Call of Duty with several of them and Joe Root checked in on me with a call daily. I thank those that have stuck by me.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/c...ar-Jofra-Archer-hits-critics-detour-home.html

 

[Forum363]

What a ridiculous interview which shows what an entitled and bitter individual Jofra is.

He goes on about how hard it was to isolate for a few days after such a ‘minor mistake’. He keeps stressing it’s not a big deal and people should move on. And constantly acts like the victim.

And then his whole spiel about the media posting negative things - grow up. You are an international sportsman. The fact that he cannot handle criticism is a clear issue. He was arguing with and retweeting against this - IN THE MIDDLE of a Test match.

‘To me, home is home’. Okay and the rest of the players don’t have a home?

‘I picked some stuff up, dropped some stuff off, it’s no big deal’. So then why have these strict rules in the first place if it’s not a big deal?

 

[DeadlyVenom]

What a ridiculous interview which shows what an entitled and bitter individual Jofra is.

He goes on about how hard it was to isolate for a few days after such a ‘minor mistake’. He keeps stressing it’s not a big deal and people should move on. And constantly acts like the victim.

And then his whole spiel about the media posting negative things - grow up. You are an international sportsman. The fact that he cannot handle criticism is a clear issue. He was arguing with and retweeting against this - IN THE MIDDLE of a Test match.

‘To me, home is home’. Okay and the rest of the players don’t have a home?

‘I picked some stuff up, dropped some stuff off, it’s no big deal’. So then why have these strict rules in the first place if it’s not a big deal?

Yeah agreed...and its poor from the England set up to allow him to make these statements.

The expectation and criticism may sometimes get too much for sportsmen and i fully sympathise with him here but the criticism of him for breaking the bio bublle is completely justified.

His defensive nature and not being willing to admit his fault here does not look good at all given the sacrifices many members of the public have made due to Covid-19.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I have a feeling that Jofra will go the freelance route in 2 or so years time

 

[Forum363]

Yeah agreed...and its poor from the England set up to allow him to make these statements.

The expectation and criticism may sometimes get too much for sportsmen and i fully sympathise with him here but the criticism of him for breaking the bio bublle is completely justified.

His defensive nature and not being willing to admit his fault here does not look good at all given the sacrifices many members of the public have made due to Covid-19.

There are players who are living in 3 star travel lodges, thousands of miles away from home in a different country. You haven’t heard any of them complaining.

And mistakes do happen. But his attitude here shows that he doesn’t even think it’s a big deal. In fact he didn’t even report this- which is why I think he should have got a worse punishment.

The way he also stated that he is ‘lacking motivation’ after a few days in the hotel room playing video games is ridiculous.

 

[Forum363]

I have a feeling that Jofra will go the freelance route in 2 or so years time

He’s the kind of player who’s going to complain about his workload etc and not put the team ahead, and if he gets injured - will throw the captain under the bus.

 

[Abdullah719]

Interesting read.

 

[Abdullah719]

England are poised to release players from the biosecure bubble before the series against Pakistan after taking a lenient approach to punishing Jofra Archer for his unauthorised trip home.

It is understood the England & Wales Cricket Board are finalising plans to allow the players a short break at the end of the West Indies series from the suffocating biosecure bubble they have lived in for more than a month and to avoid the temptation to breach guidelines like Archer did when he took a 130 mile detour to go home on Monday.

The plans to provide a bridge for the players to go home between series will require government sign off and if they are approved it will allow the squad to spend around four nights at home, depending on when the third Test with West Indies finishes.

They will be told to stay at home, not go to restaurants, pubs or public places and do everything possible to keep the risk of infection low. The players are tested twice a week.

They will have to report in Manchester on Aug 2 to begin preparing for the first Test with Pakistan on Aug 5. If the players have to stay in isolation until the end of the Pakistan series they will have spent more than two months away from family.

Archer was yesterday fined around £28,000, the equivalent of two match fees, and given a written warning for going home on Monday instead of driving directly from Southampton to Manchester. He avoided a suspension and is available for next week’s third Test after a disciplinary hearing chaired by Ashley Giles, the team director, who days earlier described his actions as a potential “disaster” and “the ripple effect it could have had could have cost us tens of millions of pounds.”

England took into account his previous clean disciplinary record and his apology. There is also an acknowledgement that England are asking a lot from the players to spend so long locked down with each other and unable to visit their family.

 

[Titan24]

I think Archer needs to realize this little adventure of his didnt become news because he is some superstar. There is a pandemic going on effecting millions around the world, he broke the protocols not only putting millions of pounds at stake rather put lives of his teammates, coaching staff and opposition team at stake too. Any random cricketer from English squad would have come into headlines with such a criminal negligence.

I understand people can make mistakes and sometimes those can be costly too but statement like this don’t reflect a good attitude in my opinion.

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

Imagine the posts here if Faheem Ashraf or Shadab goes on to do the same thing.

The worst part is, he knew what is happening, he met a person, and he never even cared to tell anyone about it. It popped up in a casual conversation for it to be an issue.

 

[Manunited18]

I do agree he has to man up to criticism, but remember he also has been racially abused again, so I can understand his feelings and emotions. These vile creatures are a disgrace to humanity, and it won't surprise me if archer walks away from international cricket and concentrate on IPL and big bash.

 

[Varun]

The comments speculating about him abandoning England for T20 leagues are interesting.

Once a mercenary, always a mercenary.

 

[Zaz]

Oh dear This isnt good He seems unrepetant and seems to have a victim mentality

Judging off this interview and the attitude shown it doesnt seem to me he ll last long with the ecb and playing for england

 

[Titan24]

I do agree he has to man up to criticism, but remember he also has been racially abused again, so I can understand his feelings and emotions. These vile creatures are a disgrace to humanity, and it won't surprise me if archer walks away from international cricket and concentrate on IPL and big bash.

What happened? Inside England team?

 

[Bhaijaan]

He's so immature. Now throwing his toys out of the pram like a cry baby. He's clearly unfit to be a test cricketer or even an international cricketer.

Should go back to bowling 4 overs a night

 

[Manunited18]

What happened? Inside England team?

Not the team but you may be aware joff is a regular presence on social media, he reported to ECB he was racially abused on social media and it has effected him mentallly

 

[Manunited18]

He's so immature. Now throwing his toys out of the pram like a cry baby. He's clearly unfit to be a test cricketer or even an international cricketer.

Should go back to bowling 4 overs a night

Yep I can see it happening.

 

[aloo paratha]

I do agree he has to man up to criticism, but remember he also has been racially abused again, so I can understand his feelings and emotions. These vile creatures are a disgrace to humanity, and it won't surprise me if archer walks away from international cricket and concentrate on IPL and big bash.

Lmao if he leaves international cricket because of racist abuse he gets from nobodies online, I think he's just far too mentally weak, and would not last during tough away tours at all. If he leaves test cricket, it won't be because of any outside thing, it'll be because he's just not good enough.

 

[Saj]

I've a feeling his relationship with the media could go wrong. At the moment he's the golden boy, but that could quickly change.

 

[Manunited18]

Lmao if he leaves international cricket because of racist abuse he gets from nobodies online, I think he's just far too mentally weak, and would not last during tough away tours at all. If he leaves test cricket, it won't be because of any outside thing, it'll be because he's just not good enough.

Definitely is good enough, hes got all the attributes of A top quality quick bowler, the guy generates quality effortlessly.

 

[Zaz]

Lmao if he leaves international cricket because of racist abuse he gets from nobodies online, I think he's just far too mentally weak, and would not last during tough away tours at all. If he leaves test cricket, it won't be because of any outside thing, it'll be because he's just not good enough.

If theres any reaon he ll leave it wont be because hes not good enough

Hes quality The problem is going to be a fallout with the ecb ala pietersen because it seems hes not one to be a good boy and do as hes told

 

[hafizexpress]

He wouldn't be able to handle being a Pakistani cricketers. We gotta give our chaps more praise for constantly being under the spotlight for everything. Jofra threw a fit over just this.

 

[Snowflake]

I don't see a long career for him in the English team.

Comes across as quite an immature guy who lacks any significant sentimental association with England. He was fast tracked because of his talent but I guess that's all he has

 

[Saj]

Cricket needs characters and this guy is a character, but it will be interesting to see how long he puts up with it once the proper criticism starts.

 

[Technics 1210]

Jofra thinks he has a sense of entitlement since he helped England win the WC.

He is wrong, soon his cries of victimhood will fall on deaf ears. He has already moaned about 'racsim' on social media while in quarantine.

Time for him to man up or choose another career.

 

[sweep_shot]

Archer seems like he has a bad attitude. I don't think he can survive in England team for too long. Besides, he hasn't exactly set the world on fire with the ball. Good LOI player but an ordinary Test player.

He should just play in T20 leagues. That's where he belongs.

 

[Saj]

Archer was yesterday fined around £28,000, the equivalent of two match fees,

Nice work if you can get it.

 

[ravisurya]

He is really full of himself.

 

[Snowflake]

Cricket needs characters and this guy is a character, but it will be interesting to see how long he puts up with it once the proper criticism starts.

I am not sure if he's a character, Saj. While his bowling is certainly exciting, that is about it.

Personally, I was totally put-off when I saw him casually walk back up to his mark and snigger with Butler after hitting S.Smith with a bouncer. I am all for aggression and the whole fast bowler persona, but you have to check on the batsman or at least show SOME concern if you've hit on the hit and he's fallen down like a sack of potatoes! He came across as quite uncouth at that time.

 

[sweep_shot]

I see he has reported racist posts from Instagram. He should know that social media always has a lot of racists and trolls. I don't think you can punish all of them. They are in the thousands.

If Archer can't develop a thick skin, maybe it is a good idea to not use social media. He can also block the abusers.

 

[Forum363]

Cricket needs characters and this guy is a character, but it will be interesting to see how long he puts up with it once the proper criticism starts.

What character? He’s incredibly dull and moody. Just happens to be entitled and complain about things so is starting to create some controversy.

The likes of Rabada have character and incredible passion.

 

[angrypathan]

Can't believe I'm saying this, but I can't wait for Warner to smash him into oblivion in next year's Ashes.

 

[Manunited18]

Can't believe I'm saying this, but I can't wait for Warner to smash him into oblivion in next year's Ashes.

Warner won't, his dady Stuart broad is still around, as usual flat track bully Warner will be put in his place. It's a case of when broad says " When i say you jump, you say how high" with Warner. Lol.

 

[Junaids]

Archer is a bit two dimensional.

He was great in The Ashes, but in NZ looked very ordinary: quick but not especially tall and unable to move it around.

 

[ManFan]

Disgusting attitude.

His talent is great but not other-worldly that it will make up for his locker-room antics.

Reminds me of another migrant to England

 

[aloo paratha]

Archer will only taste success in test cricket in England. Outside England he'll get smashed, just like he got in NZ.

 

[Smudger]

Warner won't, his dady Stuart broad is still around, as usual flat track bully Warner will be put in his place. It's a case of when broad says " When i say you jump, you say how high" with Warner. Lol.

Warner will show broad who is the daddy in Australia. Broad is toothless downunder. Infact most english bowler are

 

[Robert]

I sympathise with Archer. He is the only black man in the squad. He comes a across as a bit insecure in himself, needing emotional support or at least attention as a substitute for it.

Needs to love himself more, and let the ball do the talking for him.

 

[Robert]

Warner will show broad who is the daddy in Australia. Broad is toothless downunder. Infact most english bowler are

Broad had a good away Ashes in 2013 - he and Stokes were the only two to come back with enhanced reputations.

He needs support from the other bowlers. A Broad-Wood-Archer-Stokes attack will do better in Australia than the bunch of medium pacers England took last time.

 

[Zaz]

I sympathise with Archer. He is the only black man in the squad. He comes a across as a bit insecure in himself, needing emotional support or at least attention as a substitute for it.

Needs to love himself more, and let the ball do the talking for him.

What do you make of his statement robert and his long term future with the england cricket team?

 

[Mamoon]

Archer is an incredibly talented cricketer but it is difficult for him to cope with all the attention and the inevitable criticism that he has received over the last year or so.

He has been put under immense pressure at a very early stage of his career. He was pretty much fast-tracked to help England win the World Cup and he delivered, and since then every action of his has been scrutinized.

Archer needs to embrace his status and the fact that whatever he does or says will be highlighted and measured. He made a mistake but there is no need to chastise him beyond what was deemed adequate and reasonable by ECB.

It is not every day that you can find a cricketer of his talents, and ensuring his well-being should be of paramount importance for ECB.

 

[Junaids]

Archer is not British enough (in upbringing, not colour) to realise which two British sportsmen he is starting to resemble with his self-centred and hubristic attitude.

One is Zola Budd, the white South African Apartheid era long-distance runner.

The other is Graeme Hick, the Zimbabwean batsman.

Both were fast-tracked on the basis that they had a unique talent. But both failed to fit in, and both over-estimated their own talent.

Neither of them achieved what they could have, and both of them left the UK as soon as it had nothing left for them to take, take, take.

At least Pietersen was happy to serve, even to skipper his adopted country.

 

[Saj]

Michael Vaughan "Archer breached England’s biosecurity guidelines and missed the Test match, so he should not have been surprised that he received a lot of criticism on social media.

If he is going to spend his life on social media then sometimes it will not be pretty."

 

[angrypathan]

Warner won't, his dady Stuart broad is still around, as usual flat track bully Warner will be put in his place. It's a case of when broad says " When i say you jump, you say how high" with Warner. Lol.

Next Ashes series is in Australia at the end of next year, and Broad no longer has the pace to be successful on the dead wickets here.

 

[Titan24]

Jofra Archer may miss third Test after racist abuse

Jimmy Anderson says Jofra Archer must sit down with the England captain, Joe Root, and head coach, Chris Silverwood, to decide if he is in the right frame of mind to return for Friday’s final Test against West Indies.

Archer is available after missing the second Test following his breach of pandemic protocols this month, but has warned he may miss the match after describing the mental toll he has suffered from the level of criticism, some of it racist.

Anderson, who is expected to start on Friday after being rested for the second Test, said: “We’ve not seen much of [Jofra] because he’s been in isolation for a few days. I’m sure he’ll want to play in this game because it’s such a crucial game, the series resting on it.

“He’s said about his frame of mind and that’s something that over the next two days he’s going to have to sit down with the captain and coach and figure out if he’s in the right place to play.”

Asked what advice he would give to Archer, Anderson added: “It’s finding ways of dealing with the extra attention. I was fortunate when I came into the England team there was no social media back then, but the way people can get their opinions out there, it’s quite visible.

“It’s just finding methods as a player to deal with that, and I think using the team around him as well, whether that’s family friends, management and the players and coaches here. It’s important everyone does that, not just Jofra.”

Archer was quoted in the Irish edition of the Daily Mail on Wednesday saying he could pull out of the squad. “To be totally honest, I will have to see how training goes before making a final decision on whether to pull out because when I was finally allowed to go out to the nets to bowl I found I was struggling for motivation in the circumstances,” he said.

“This whole week has been extremely tough and to spend five days in isolation has given me a lot of thinking time on where I am at. I give 100% every time I go out there and I don’t want to go out on the field unless I can guarantee doing that.”

The matter was clearly still uppermost in Archer’s thoughts on Wednesday morning, the fast bowler responding on Twitter to a critic who said he should not “bring racism in[to] everything”, stating: “Come back when you can use your real name and real display picture.”

Archer revealed in his Mail column the effect the reaction to his misdemeanour had had on him: “Some of the abuse I have taken over the past few days on Instagram has been racist and I have decided that enough is enough,” he said. “I have forwarded my complaints to the ECB and that will go through the correct process.”

An ECB spokesperson said: “The alleged racist message was brought to our attention by Jofra last week. We are supporting him and we have reported the message through the appropriate channels and authorities.”

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The opposition expect the pace bowler to turn out with the West Indies assistant coach, Roddy Estwick, revealing that he had spoken to the bowler this week. “Jofra will be fine. I’ve been in constant contact with him and I’ve been trying to reassure him – we all make mistakes and we all learn from those mistakes and move on.

“I spoke to him yesterday and he’ll be in a good space. The support has got to be there for him, he’s a young man, and I will continue to support him, there is no doubt about that. I’ll be there for him, he knows that, and if he needs a chat he can ring me any time.”

The former England Test captain Andrew Strauss, who will be at Old Trafford working for Sky and coordinating the second Ruth Strauss Foundation day at the ground on Saturday in honour of his late wife, also backed Archer.

“I have an understanding of all the work has done with government to bring back international cricket and he made a substantial mistake but I think it’s been handled sensibly and sensitively. Feeling like you’re public enemy No 1 is not a great thing for your mental health but the team and players will be very keen to reintegrate him and it’s time to move forward.”

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...icket-after-racist-abuse-over-breach-backlash

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Michael Vaughan "Archer breached England’s biosecurity guidelines and missed the Test match, so he should not have been surprised that he received a lot of criticism on social media.

If he is going to spend his life on social media then sometimes it will not be pretty."

That may well be true [MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] but it's also pretty clear that he's been getting the "Raheem Sterling" treatment from the English Media. They specialise in building up and then tearing down their sportsmen (Beckham/Rooney) and God forbid if you're a young and succesful black sportsmen. Your margin of error is much lower in the English media's eyes if you make a mistake as a black person, as Raheem Sterling can attest to.

Stokes can beat a couple of men into unconsciousness, but did he get anywhere near the vitriolic abuse that Archer did?

Did Archer make a mistake, yes. But does it justify people dehumanizing him based on race, no. And the same type of people would probably justify why that Dominic Cummings was correct to break curfew

 

[Forum363]

That may well be true [MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] but it's also pretty clear that he's been getting the "Raheem Sterling" treatment from the English Media. They specialise in building up and then tearing down their sportsmen (Beckham/Rooney) and God forbid if you're a young and succesful black sportsmen. Your margin of error is much lower in the English media's eyes if you make a mistake as a black person, as Raheem Sterling can attest to.

Stokes can beat a couple of men into unconsciousness, but did he get anywhere near the vitriolic abuse that Archer did?

Did Archer make a mistake, yes. But does it justify people dehumanizing him based on race, no. And the same type of people would probably justify why that Dominic Cummings was correct to break curfew

Apart from a few trolls on social media - no one is dehumanising him based on his race.

In fact, throughout this whole chapter he has been given a lot of leniency. Stokes was banned and almost jailed for his crime, so it’s not an apt comparison. And in terms of the media, I remember an article which dug up some extremely disturbing family events about Stokes being published. Archer has not faced much criticism from the media yet.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Apart from a few trolls on social media - no one is dehumanising him based on his race.

In fact, throughout this whole chapter he has been given a lot of leniency. Stokes was banned and almost jailed for his crime, so it’s not an apt comparison. And in terms of the media, I remember an article which dug up some extremely disturbing family events about Stokes being published. Archer has not faced much criticism from the media yet.

We don't know the extent of the racist abuse, because remember, he had to face similar in the New Zealand tour as well.

I think it's also the direction of travel regarding the media coverage. I've seen enough of how black athletes are covered in the British press to see what his media coverage will eventually become.

 

[Robert]

What do you make of his statement robert and his long term future with the england cricket team?

I think he needs to be handled with care and supported by team and management.

I think he can take 400 test wickets if they look after him.

 

[Saj]

I think he'll play Tests for a few years then stick to white-ball cricket, where the dollars are.

 

[aloo paratha]

Jimmy Anderson says Jofra Archer must sit down with the England captain, Joe Root, and head coach, Chris Silverwood, to decide if he is in the right frame of mind to return for Friday’s final Test against West Indies.

Archer is available after missing the second Test following his breach of pandemic protocols this month, but has warned he may miss the match after describing the mental toll he has suffered from the level of criticism, some of it racist.

Anderson, who is expected to start on Friday after being rested for the second Test, said: “We’ve not seen much of [Jofra] because he’s been in isolation for a few days. I’m sure he’ll want to play in this game because it’s such a crucial game, the series resting on it.

“He’s said about his frame of mind and that’s something that over the next two days he’s going to have to sit down with the captain and coach and figure out if he’s in the right place to play.”

Asked what advice he would give to Archer, Anderson added: “It’s finding ways of dealing with the extra attention. I was fortunate when I came into the England team there was no social media back then, but the way people can get their opinions out there, it’s quite visible.

“It’s just finding methods as a player to deal with that, and I think using the team around him as well, whether that’s family friends, management and the players and coaches here. It’s important everyone does that, not just Jofra.”

Archer was quoted in the Irish edition of the Daily Mail on Wednesday saying he could pull out of the squad. “To be totally honest, I will have to see how training goes before making a final decision on whether to pull out because when I was finally allowed to go out to the nets to bowl I found I was struggling for motivation in the circumstances,” he said.

“This whole week has been extremely tough and to spend five days in isolation has given me a lot of thinking time on where I am at. I give 100% every time I go out there and I don’t want to go out on the field unless I can guarantee doing that.”

The matter was clearly still uppermost in Archer’s thoughts on Wednesday morning, the fast bowler responding on Twitter to a critic who said he should not “bring racism in[to] everything”, stating: “Come back when you can use your real name and real display picture.”

Archer revealed in his Mail column the effect the reaction to his misdemeanour had had on him: “Some of the abuse I have taken over the past few days on Instagram has been racist and I have decided that enough is enough,” he said. “I have forwarded my complaints to the ECB and that will go through the correct process.”

An ECB spokesperson said: “The alleged racist message was brought to our attention by Jofra last week. We are supporting him and we have reported the message through the appropriate channels and authorities.”

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The opposition expect the pace bowler to turn out with the West Indies assistant coach, Roddy Estwick, revealing that he had spoken to the bowler this week. “Jofra will be fine. I’ve been in constant contact with him and I’ve been trying to reassure him – we all make mistakes and we all learn from those mistakes and move on.

“I spoke to him yesterday and he’ll be in a good space. The support has got to be there for him, he’s a young man, and I will continue to support him, there is no doubt about that. I’ll be there for him, he knows that, and if he needs a chat he can ring me any time.”

The former England Test captain Andrew Strauss, who will be at Old Trafford working for Sky and coordinating the second Ruth Strauss Foundation day at the ground on Saturday in honour of his late wife, also backed Archer.

“I have an understanding of all the work has done with government to bring back international cricket and he made a substantial mistake but I think it’s been handled sensibly and sensitively. Feeling like you’re public enemy No 1 is not a great thing for your mental health but the team and players will be very keen to reintegrate him and it’s time to move forward.”

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...icket-after-racist-abuse-over-breach-backlash

He's so mentally weak he might skip the test match?

 

[Bewal Express]

I bet he will play the race card because he has no other card to play. The guy is an absolute idiot and needs to cone off social media if he can't handle the trolls.

 

[Kashur_Kalkharab]

Him breaking the protocol in middle of pandemic is criminal. I would definitely consider it more big a crime than to murder someone, because at least you just killing one there. It could turn out to be disaster for many players had anything gone wrong.
He should have the realization that things are absolutely critical.

 

[Forum363]

We don't know the extent of the racist abuse, because remember, he had to face similar in the New Zealand tour as well.

I think it's also the direction of travel regarding the media coverage. I've seen enough of how black athletes are covered in the British press to see what his media coverage will eventually become.

I fully agree that the British media is unbelievably hostile to black people in general. You only have to look at the media coverage on the Meghan and Harry situation to see how ridiculous they got.

But unless I’ve missed something - Jofra has not come under any increased scrutiny or negative press because of his skin colour. In fact he has been hyped beyond crazy and given a lot of credit for his performances. If anything he is a victim of his initial success where people like [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] are rating him as the best in the world instead of what he is - a up and coming young bowler with good talent and immense potential. As with any young bowler he will be inconsistent and take some time to perform well regularly.

However when he is already being touted as the best bowler etc, he gets less leeway when he produces a rubbish performance.

What doesn’t help is his entitled and moody personality. He appears to be an incredibly dislikeable person. The way he just walked away after hitting Steve Smith was unnerving. The absolute peak of raw passion/pace/hostility in bowling is unarguably Shoaib Akhtar. He spent a lot of time intimidating batsman and trying to hit them. But on the occasions where he did hurt someone, he immediately went over and made sure they were okay, cradled their heads etc. Because once the ball hits them, the delivery is done and the game is paused momentarily. At that moment, they are just two humans.

 

[Forum363]

Him breaking the protocol in middle of pandemic is criminal. I would definitely consider it more big a crime than to murder someone, because at least you just killing one there. It could turn out to be disaster for many players had anything gone wrong.
He should have the realization that things are absolutely critical.

Absolutely. Everyone is saying it’s just one small mistake. But he very consciously went home, then came back and rejoined the squad without telling anyone. Had he not mentioned it in passing, it would not have gotten out. And he seems completely unremorseful. Clearly doesn’t think it’s a big deal at all and is complaining at his treatment.

 

[tyron_woodley]

I fully agree that the British media is unbelievably hostile to black people in general. You only have to look at the media coverage on the Meghan and Harry situation to see how ridiculous they got.

But unless I’ve missed something - Jofra has not come under any increased scrutiny or negative press because of his skin colour. In fact he has been hyped beyond crazy and given a lot of credit for his performances. If anything he is a victim of his initial success where people like [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] are rating him as the best in the world instead of what he is - a up and coming young bowler with good talent and immense potential. As with any young bowler he will be inconsistent and take some time to perform well regularly.

However when he is already being touted as the best bowler etc, he gets less leeway when he produces a rubbish performance.

What doesn’t help is his entitled and moody personality. He appears to be an incredibly dislikeable person. The way he just walked away after hitting Steve Smith was unnerving. The absolute peak of raw passion/pace/hostility in bowling is unarguably Shoaib Akhtar. He spent a lot of time intimidating batsman and trying to hit them. But on the occasions where he did hurt someone, he immediately went over and made sure they were okay, cradled their heads etc. Because once the ball hits them, the delivery is done and the game is paused momentarily. At that moment, they are just two humans.

media likes to perpetuate a biased view against black people for more viewership as the topic usually causes uproar amongst the general public.

Anyway joffra is a great prospect but he isn't there yet I agree

I disagree with the notion that he needs to go check on smith. It's a tough sport. You can't feel sorry for your opponents. Getting hurt is part of the game. Feeling sorry for the player would take away the competitive spirit hence joffra decided to walk away. He dint want to feel anguished.

Smith was tormenting them. Joffra had to do something to take him out and that's exactly what he did. He took him out.
Smith still wrecked them later though........shows you how good smithy is.

 

[Forum363]

media likes to perpetuate a biased view against black people for more viewership as the topic usually causes uproar amongst the general public.

Anyway joffra is a great prospect but he isn't there yet I agree

I disagree with the notion that he needs to go check on smith. It's a tough sport. You can't feel sorry for your opponents. Getting hurt is part of the game. Feeling sorry for the player would take away the competitive spirit hence joffra decided to walk away. He dint want to feel anguished.

Smith was tormenting them. Joffra had to do something to take him out and that's exactly what he did. He took him out.
Smith still wrecked them later though........shows you how good smithy is.

I completely agree that you give no quarter in the contest.... however you have to remember it’s a game at the end of the day. If you’ve just hit someone in the neck with a cricket ball at 95+mph and they’ve collapsed to the floor, you may have won the battle or you may not, but you have to go and check that they’re okay. At least in the immediacy of the collapse. The fact that he watched Smith drop and turned his back is what concerns me. Especially with what happened with Hughes. I don’t care if he went back to his mark and carried on bowling bouncers, but once the ball is dead - to not check up on your opponent while he lies on the ground is heartless.

And now he expects sympathy from people because he got a little abuse on social media. Please.

Selfish and entitled cricketer.

 

[tyron_woodley]

I completely agree that you give no quarter in the contest.... however you have to remember it’s a game at the end of the day. If you’ve just hit someone in the neck with a cricket ball at 95+mph and they’ve collapsed to the floor, you may have won the battle or you may not, but you have to go and check that they’re okay. At least in the immediacy of the collapse. The fact that he watched Smith drop and turned his back is what concerns me. Especially with what happened with Hughes. I don’t care if he went back to his mark and carried on bowling bouncers, but once the ball is dead - to not check up on your opponent while he lies on the ground is heartless.

And now he expects sympathy from people because he got a little abuse on social media. Please.

Selfish and entitled cricketer.

don't get me wrong, joffra is a bit of a egomaniac. However I don't see any reason for him to go and check up on smithy when he has his own physio and teammates to help him out. If joffra is affected by the incident then he wouldn't be able to play with the same aggression he has showcased.

Unless smith was flatlined I don't think joffra needs to check on him. What does that prove anyway?
'oh mate you okay? sorry about the bouncer. I will bowl you a few full tosses instead?

Nha it doesn't work like that.

joffra is arrogant though and he deserves all the hate but not for the smith incident.

 

[Forum363]

don't get me wrong, joffra is a bit of a egomaniac. However I don't see any reason for him to go and check up on smithy when he has his own physio and teammates to help him out. If joffra is affected by the incident then he wouldn't be able to play with the same aggression he has showcased.

Unless smith was flatlined I don't think joffra needs to check on him. What does that prove anyway?
'oh mate you okay? sorry about the bouncer. I will bowl you a few full tosses instead?

Nha it doesn't work like that.

joffra is arrogant though and he deserves all the hate but not for the smith incident.

If I am driving and I hit a pedestrian, I will get out and check up on them. Regardless of if there are other people around. Ofcourse the paramedics will come and they are the qualified ones, but for me to not even check up on the person would be inhumane.

Now I understand this is an international sport and not a random accident - but at the end of the day its just a game. The goal is to win, not to kill someone.

Jofra doesn't need to be affected by the incident or change how he PLAYS. But once the ball is dead, as a human being, he should have checked Smith was okay. Especially since he's the closest person to the batsman when he collapsed. For all he knew Smith could have flatlined, in that moment anything was possible.

The reason I am bringing up this incident because it shows the nature of Archer and what kind of person he is.

 

[HitWicket]

If I am driving and I hit a pedestrian, I will get out and check up on them. Regardless of if there are other people around. Ofcourse the paramedics will come and they are the qualified ones, but for me to not even check up on the person would be inhumane.

Now I understand this is an international sport and not a random accident - but at the end of the day its just a game. The goal is to win, not to kill someone.

Jofra doesn't need to be affected by the incident or change how he PLAYS. But once the ball is dead, as a human being, he should have checked Smith was okay. Especially since he's the closest person to the batsman when he collapsed. For all he knew Smith could have flatlined, in that moment anything was possible.

The reason I am bringing up this incident because it shows the nature of Archer and what kind of person he is.

To use the same (over the top) analogy it's quite common for drivers to freeze up briefly/go into emotional shock after an accident.

 

[Forum363]

To use the same (over the top) analogy it's quite common for drivers to freeze up briefly/go into emotional shock after an accident.

Yes but they wouldn’t in that shock, just start up again and casually carry on driving like nothing has happened (as Archer did when he turned back to his mark).

 

[tyron_woodley]

If I am driving and I hit a pedestrian, I will get out and check up on them. Regardless of if there are other people around. Ofcourse the paramedics will come and they are the qualified ones, but for me to not even check up on the person would be inhumane.

Now I understand this is an international sport and not a random accident - but at the end of the day its just a game. The goal is to win, not to kill someone.

Jofra doesn't need to be affected by the incident or change how he PLAYS. But once the ball is dead, as a human being, he should have checked Smith was okay. Especially since he's the closest person to the batsman when he collapsed. For all he knew Smith could have flatlined, in that moment anything was possible.

The reason I am bringing up this incident because it shows the nature of Archer and what kind of person he is.

honestly they had no answer for smith. They knew joffra is the only one with the ability to get him out. Somehow, he actually never managed to get his wicket in series if I recall correctly but I digress.

He did manage to take him out temporarily as smith was hell bent on tormenting the poms. When you reach a level of frustration experienced by the poms due to Smith's presence, I am not really surprised their lack of empathy. Joffra in particular I mean.

It's part of the game. He could have just checked up on him but it's not a big deal. Plus the adrenaline may have been pumping after joffra rendered smith ineffective, atleast momentarily.

 

[HitWicket]

Yes but they wouldn’t in that shock, just start up again and casually carry on driving like nothing has happened (as Archer did when he turned back to his mark).

Nonsense, he wandered around a bit by the stumps at the bowlers end and then started walking over to Smith (by which point the team doctor was sprinting over), it's hardly the equivalent of a hit and run.

 

[Forum363]

honestly they had no answer for smith. They knew joffra is the only one with the ability to get him out. Somehow, he actually never managed to get his wicket in series if I recall correctly but I digress.

He did manage to take him out temporarily as smith was hell bent on tormenting the poms. When you reach a level of frustration experienced by the poms due to Smith's presence, I am not really surprised their lack of empathy. Joffra in particular I mean.

It's part of the game. He could have just checked up on him but it's not a big deal. Plus the adrenaline may have been pumping after joffra rendered smith ineffective, atleast momentarily.

I agree with all of what you said. Adrenalin, the heat of the moment etc

BUT when you see a cricket ball hit someone in the neck at 95mph and they collapse like that, surely all thought of the game go out of your head. Jofra’s reaction showed he didn’t care about the match situation. He was just being nasty and his lack of empathy in that moment summed him up as a person.

Almost killing someone is not part of a game.

Just a few moments later, as Smith was lying on the floor being tended to by the physio, you could see Archer and Butler standing there and laughing. Who knows what the context was, but again, shows a lack of respect and empathy for a human being.

 

[HitWicket]

Just a few moments later, as Smith was lying on the floor being tended to by the physio, you could see Archer and Butler standing there and laughing. Who knows what the context was, but again, shows a lack of respect and empathy for a human being.

Please, this is more nonsense. Smith was fully stood up and had had a walk around by the time the footage of Buttler and Archer having a laugh had occured.

 

[princeuk]

Lol, he is someone who appears to be nonchalant in his attitude, I picked some stuff up, "its no big deal" waht planet is this guy on, if everyone else is rightfully following protocol then so should he, he is putting other peoples lives in danger......he strikes me as someone who believes his own hype.

 

[MenInG]

Eoin Morgan took me aside at a training session before the England ODI team’s first practice match a fortnight ago and asked me to be his vice-captain for this series against Ireland, which starts on Thursday. I have been absolutely buzzing about it ever since.

People might think phrases like “it being an honour” are just trotted out at times like this but it genuinely is. It means a huge amount to me and especially from a captain like Morgs. Growing up playing cricket I never thought I’d one day be able to say I was vice-captain of my country and I’ve had a lot of messages of support.

More than anything it is great to feel so valued. Jos Buttler is usually vice-captain and is with the Test team right now. But Morgs still had a lot of options in this one-day squad, with regulars such as Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy, or even guys coming in like James Vince and Sam Billings who captain their counties.

Captaincy at Worcestershire is something I’ve always enjoyed and we’ve had a bit of success along the way. If Morgs misses a game for some reason, I would feel at ease leading the team. This series is about new faces but, crucially, staying true to the brand of cricket we’ve built over the past few years.

That is the message from Morgs to the squad as a whole: if you come into the team, you have to play for the team. It’s not about individuals. We’re not standing still here either, we want to continue to develop our style of play and we know it will lead to more wins.

The T20 World Cup has been pushed back 12 months but it gives us more time to work on this and, though 50-over is a different format, it all feeds into our short-form cricket. Losing the T20 final in 2016, even having gone on to lift the 50-over World Cup last summer, is something we want to put right next year, too.

It’s tricky to speak with total certainty about future events when we don’t know how the pandemic will play out, be it a second spike or something else. But life in the England bubble this summer has actually been pretty good, personally, and not as daunting as it sounded when we were first told about it.

And there are benefits, too. Guys have built up a strong bond during the time together and the conversations are a bit more in-depth. The preparation time has been excellent, too, a chance to really assess your game and where you want to take it, rather than bouncing from series to series or tour to tour.

After the red-ball warm-up match, when Ben Stokes brought me on to bowl quite late in the first innings, I knew I was unlikely to be picked for the West Indies Test series. But it was just good to be back playing with the lads and I hope to play some first-class cricket for Worcestershire between our one-day international series.

Moving over to the one-day bubble has been great. Not being able to leave the ground is pretty strange, admittedly. Adil Rashid and I normally like to visit friends and family in whatever city where we are playing our cricket, which we can’t do now. And Jofra Archer made headlines for popping home before the second Test.

Jof is a good friend of mine and even though we speak a lot, it was tough to read he was struggling a bit during that period. My advice is always that tough times pass and are followed by calm, during which you can reflect and learn. And it has been a rollercoaster 12 months for him.

He is a very active person on social media and while I moved away from it a while back, I would never tell anyone to do the same. But it has to be said, I have seen some of the messages he has received and they are absolutely horrendous.

This isn’t about being thick-skinned. No one should have to tolerate racism. And I think people need calling out here. Maybe they should make it mandatory that social media accounts have names and faces on them. We should know who is saying these things.

In terms of messages that criticise your cricket, I have been through a bit of that and over time you realise that quite often the people just don’t have a Scooby about the sport. And when it comes to Jofra, we are talking about a potential superstar here.

He is only nine Tests into his England career, already has three five-wicket hauls and there is so much more to come. He is a fast learner and after 15 Tests, 20 Tests, 30 Tests he will have grown and grown into the five-day game. Trust me, he’s going to be amazing.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/b...fra-archer-england-cricket-social-media-abuse

 

[Manunited18]

Eoin Morgan took me aside at a training session before the England ODI team’s first practice match a fortnight ago and asked me to be his vice-captain for this series against Ireland, which starts on Thursday. I have been absolutely buzzing about it ever since.

People might think phrases like “it being an honour” are just trotted out at times like this but it genuinely is. It means a huge amount to me and especially from a captain like Morgs. Growing up playing cricket I never thought I’d one day be able to say I was vice-captain of my country and I’ve had a lot of messages of support.

More than anything it is great to feel so valued. Jos Buttler is usually vice-captain and is with the Test team right now. But Morgs still had a lot of options in this one-day squad, with regulars such as Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy, or even guys coming in like James Vince and Sam Billings who captain their counties.

Captaincy at Worcestershire is something I’ve always enjoyed and we’ve had a bit of success along the way. If Morgs misses a game for some reason, I would feel at ease leading the team. This series is about new faces but, crucially, staying true to the brand of cricket we’ve built over the past few years.

That is the message from Morgs to the squad as a whole: if you come into the team, you have to play for the team. It’s not about individuals. We’re not standing still here either, we want to continue to develop our style of play and we know it will lead to more wins.

The T20 World Cup has been pushed back 12 months but it gives us more time to work on this and, though 50-over is a different format, it all feeds into our short-form cricket. Losing the T20 final in 2016, even having gone on to lift the 50-over World Cup last summer, is something we want to put right next year, too.

It’s tricky to speak with total certainty about future events when we don’t know how the pandemic will play out, be it a second spike or something else. But life in the England bubble this summer has actually been pretty good, personally, and not as daunting as it sounded when we were first told about it.

And there are benefits, too. Guys have built up a strong bond during the time together and the conversations are a bit more in-depth. The preparation time has been excellent, too, a chance to really assess your game and where you want to take it, rather than bouncing from series to series or tour to tour.

After the red-ball warm-up match, when Ben Stokes brought me on to bowl quite late in the first innings, I knew I was unlikely to be picked for the West Indies Test series. But it was just good to be back playing with the lads and I hope to play some first-class cricket for Worcestershire between our one-day international series.

Moving over to the one-day bubble has been great. Not being able to leave the ground is pretty strange, admittedly. Adil Rashid and I normally like to visit friends and family in whatever city where we are playing our cricket, which we can’t do now. And Jofra Archer made headlines for popping home before the second Test.

Jof is a good friend of mine and even though we speak a lot, it was tough to read he was struggling a bit during that period. My advice is always that tough times pass and are followed by calm, during which you can reflect and learn. And it has been a rollercoaster 12 months for him.

He is a very active person on social media and while I moved away from it a while back, I would never tell anyone to do the same. But it has to be said, I have seen some of the messages he has received and they are absolutely horrendous.

This isn’t about being thick-skinned. No one should have to tolerate racism. And I think people need calling out here. Maybe they should make it mandatory that social media accounts have names and faces on them. We should know who is saying these things.

In terms of messages that criticise your cricket, I have been through a bit of that and over time you realise that quite often the people just don’t have a Scooby about the sport. And when it comes to Jofra, we are talking about a potential superstar here.

He is only nine Tests into his England career, already has three five-wicket hauls and there is so much more to come. He is a fast learner and after 15 Tests, 20 Tests, 30 Tests he will have grown and grown into the five-day game. Trust me, he’s going to be amazing.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/b...fra-archer-england-cricket-social-media-abuse

Moin ali has hit the nail on the head.

 

[MenInG]

A lot was made of my comments about social media after the last Test and it goes without saying that I stand by my point about the unacceptable nature of racial abuse. There’s never any place for it in any walk of life.

But I also accept that, in terms of some of the other criticism that was aimed at me — about my cricket, say — I have to make sure I don’t let it bother me as much as I have done. Sometimes, you’ve just got to get on with it. People will say what they want to say on social media, and there’s not a lot you can do about it.

The chat during the third Test was a lot more about the cricket, which was nice — especially as a lot of the people I follow are based in the Caribbean. That made those five days pretty manageable.


Comforting presence

It was nice to hear about a column Moeen Ali had written, in which he expressed his support for me over some of the treatment I’d received.

He’s a really good guy and he made my transition into the team a lot easier when I first played international cricket last year. It wasn’t anything he said in the dressing room that eased my way in. It was just his presence, which was very comforting. He’s that kind of a person and I’m pleased to see England have made him vice-captain for the one-day series against Ireland.

Moeen also suggested that Twitter users shouldn’t be able to hide behind anonymous names and pictures, so they can’t get away with random abuse. It’s a nice idea and I do appreciate the thought from one of the game’s good guys. Hopefully, the social media companies will make this happen very soon.


You win some…

It was great to get back on the field after the events of the previous Test and it was reminder that cricket has a funny way of balancing things out. On another day, the way I bowled in West Indies’ first innings would have brought me a seven-for. Instead, I ended up with one for 72.

But I was happy with the way I bowled. A lot of those runs in the first innings came off the edge to third man and in the second innings I went at two an over.

I was happy with the wicket of John Campbell, though. People wondered if I’d set him up by pitching up the first five balls of the over, then dropping the sixth slightly short.

But you always look to test out guys’ techniques against the short ball and if it hadn’t happened that over, it might easily have happened in the next.


Hats off to Broad

I have rarely bowled with a guy who has 500 first-class wickets, let alone 500 in Tests, so it was actually quite surreal being on the park when Stuart Broad got there on the final morning. I’ll try that again: it was amazing.

The way he’s bowled in this series, he was always hitting the stumps and the law of averages tells you that’s going to bring you wickets. Hats off to him.

It was quite a compliment to be chosen for the game after Chris Silverwood had said England were going to pick their strongest attack. We’ve got such strength in depth at the moment that you’d trust whichever of our seamers are selected to get the job done. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in against Pakistan.

Return favour

It was a great gesture by West Indies to visit the UK during the pandemic, because you know that once one team does it others will follow. It’s also the case that whichever country tours here is more likely to get a return visit from England. Would I like to tour the Caribbean? Of course!

The whole experience of playing West Indies has been weird in that respect, because I already knew everyone really well. In a way, it didn’t feel like a Test series. In terms of on-field atmosphere, it was probably the best series I’m going to have taken part in.

Even their bowling coach, Roddy Estwick, was my coach when I played for West Indies Under 19, so it all felt quite friendly.


Wakey, wakey

I have to be honest: it’s nice to be home for a few days after all that time in the bio-secure bubble. Every morning in my room the alarm would automatically go off at 8am so there wasn’t much chance of a lie-in.

I thought I might get that lie-in back in Hove but my body clock had become so conditioned that on the morning after the game I actually woke up at 7.30!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/c...ing-presence-amazing-Stuart-Broad-moment.html

 

[MenInG]

The other hero from the Final who bowled the crucial Super Over was Jofra Archer. After seeing the highest of highs in cricket, Archer's career has dwindled due to multiple injuries.

There was some good news for the England fans recently when Sussex coach Paul Farbrace declared that Archer was 'on course' to be fit for the World Cup.

Matthew Mott revealed that England are willing to gamble on Archer's fitness for the World Cup by managing his workload through the tournament.

"There is a high chance that we will take risk on a proven performer [like Archer] that has done it on the world stage," Mott said.

"We are planning for him to be available. Obviously, a lot of things have to go his way and it will be a tight timeline but with players like that you are going to give them every opportunity to prove their fitness, and so we will keep an open mind.’

"It would be a big ask for him to play every game, so we would have to target specific ones, but we are big on ball speed for India, we feel like that’s a really important asset for us to have out there and it will be good to see Mark Wood, who had such an impact in the Ashes, do the same with the white ball."

The World Cup kicks off on 5 October with defending Champions England facing New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in what will be a rematch of the 2019 Final.

ICC

 

[sweep_shot]

Archer is good but I feel like English media was hyping him up a lot. He has 42 ODI wickets and 42 Test wickets in his career even though he debuted in 2019.

There are many other bowlers who don't get hyped up and yet they have done better than Archer.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Jofra Archer experienced elbow pain while training with England at the World Cup in Mumbai, a setback in his rehabilitation from a stress fracture which has ruled him out of their white-ball tour of the Caribbean next month.

 

[FearlessRoar]

England needed Jofra Archer just for the sake of winning the ODI World Cup in 2019. After that, we have only seen him injured or ruled out of the team.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Jofra Archer will miss the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the England pacer has not registered for mini auction, scheduled to be held in Dubai on December 19.

Archer was released by Mumbai Indians last month ahead of the auction, mainly because of his injury concerns. He played five games last season, picking up just two wickets, while also leaking 9.5 runs per over.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has not responded why Archer (27) has not given his name for the auction but it was being talked among IPL teams that he would not turn up this year because of his injury.

 

[MenInG]

Well he didn't sneeze but....

==

England have been caught off guard by Jofra Archer returning from injury at the weekend, with the fast bowler taking four for 18 in the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) league.

Archer joined England on the Caribbean island where he was born and raised and took part in some bowling drills on Friday as he continues his rehabilitation from the latest setback in his right elbow.

It is understood he flew back to the UK on Sunday evening but not before turning out a few hours earlier for his old school side Foundation on day one of their three-day fixture against Lords in division one of the BCA league.

But it seems he did so without England's knowledge as director of men's cricket Rob Key was surprised upon being informed of Archer's appearance in the second tier of Barbados' club structure.

"I'm not aware of that – I'll find out," said Key.

A scorecard on the Barbados Cricket website lists Archer as the pick of the bowlers as Lords were bowled out for 114 at Church Hill.

The Cricketer website reported one of his wickets was via left-arm spin, while he contributed 11 with the bat as Foundation went to stumps on 78 for eight. Days two and three will take place next weekend but Archer returning home looks likely to preclude his involvement for the remainder of the game.

The 28-year-old's last professional appearance was in May, ruled out of the Ashes by a recurrence of a stress fracture in a right elbow that has caused persistent problems since his breakout year in 2019.

More soreness meant he spent just three days in Mumbai after being named as England’s only "travelling reserve" for the World Cup but he was awarded a two-year central contract in October.

England do not want to rush Archer back and have denied him permission to enter the Indian Premier League auction, with a view to easing him back, possibly for the 2024 T20 World Cup in June.

"Jofra was bowling out here," Key added. "As you often see with Jofra, he rocks up, ends up bowling 95 miles an hour and he looks like he's an absolute genius.

"But we're just going to take it slow with him. We don't want to put any sort of deadlines on him. That's what we've done in the past, we're trying to learn from what we've done in the past with Jofra.

"Actually now we're taking control of him coming back. We're not going to say, 'you need to get back for this part here'. From what they've said, an elbow injury is a complicated place to have an injury.

"Jofra was keen to go into the IPL auction but we just feel like the best way to do this now is just for us to be in control of it. There's no commitment either way, and we can then just bring you back.

"If it takes an extra couple of months, but he gets another couple of years out of his career and gets back fully – I think he's worth his while in gold."

PlanetSport

 

[Forum363]

As always his attitude stinks.

@Mamoon call him out like you call stokes. He wanted to sign up for the IPL despite being unfit for years and had to be blocked by the ECB.

Ofcourse he didn’t notify the board about playing for his school - he’s above all that. He should stay playing for them as that’s his level.

A fluke season when he started before he was worked out and embarrassed. I have never seen a cricketer receive more hype than him so early on.

 

[hassan918]

England management would surely be not pleased with him on his participation in the match as they have been investing a lot in his fitness to make sure that he makes a strong comeback.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

As everyone knows if he sneezes so he will remain out of cricket for another 1 year.

 

[Sher Khan]

He is history. He will have no notable international performances from here on and will become a T20 mercenary.

 

[Forum363]

Mentally weak cricketer who couldn’t handle criticism or the game at the highest level.