Advertisement
Rob Key, England’s managing director, expresses optimism about the potential return of fast-bowler Jofra Archer for the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in the USA and West Indies from June 1-29. Archer has been sidelined from competitive cricket since May last year due to a recurring right elbow injury sustained while playing for Mumbai Indians in the 2023 IPL.
Despite missing significant tournaments like the Ashes and the ODI World Cup, Jofra Archer joined the England squad for training during their white-ball tour of the West Indies in December. The team plans to gradually build him up for the T20 World Cup, where England aims to defend the title they won in 2022 in Australia.
“Our plan is the T20 World Cup, building him up slowly. I saw him bowl in the Caribbean, and it was like he’d never been away,” Key mentioned in the BBC’s Tailenders podcast. While Archer expressed eagerness to participate in IPL 2024, the decision was made to prioritize his recovery.
Advertisement
Key also called for dedicated windows in the cricket calendar for Test cricket to safeguard the oldest format of the game. This perspective comes in light of South Africa sending a weakened Test squad to New Zealand, with the series in February conflicting with the second season of SA20.
“Test cricket needs to have windows. There was a two-month window for the Ashes last summer – that could be one. There could be one at Christmas. Test cricket needs a window where you can’t play anything else,” Key emphasized. He urged a shift in attitudes toward Test cricket, advocating for inclusivity in player selection based on talent rather than rigid criteria.
“The rest of us – England, Australia, India, and the International Cricket Council, in particular – need to look after the other countries. We have to stop being snobby about Test cricket. We have this view that you can’t play Test cricket unless you have played 150 red-ball games or play in a certain way. No, just pick the most talented players,” he concluded.
-IANS
