Since undergoing surgery on his right elbow, Jofra Archer has stated that he will not mind missing the five-match Test series against India. He does not want to rush into action, and his priorities are the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup and the Ashes.
‘One thing I am determined about post-elbow operation is not to rush my comeback because my primary focus is to be playing for England in the T20 World Cup and Ashes later this year,’ he wrote in his Daily Mail column.
Archer is only 26. He debuted two years ago. However, since then, his career has been plagued by injuries, and 2021 has been the most treacherous for him.
In January 2020, he endured a bone stress injury during the first of the four Tests in South Africa. Since then, the injury, recurring in nature, has ruled him out of multiple assignments.
He recently missed the last two Tests during England’s tour of India due to the same injury. He later returned to play all five T20Is but rested himself for the ODIs to fully recover before the IPL. Then he cut his middle finger while cleaning a fish tank, and was ruled out of an entire tournament.
Archer returned to action in the ongoing County Championship for Sussex. But it took only 18 overs of his toil, against Kent, for the long-standing elbow injury to resurface.
In a strong-worded statement, Archer quipped that he ‘would rather miss a few weeks of a year so that he has a few more years in his career’.
He will now undergo an intense rehabilitation period under the constant scrutiny of the ECB and Sussex medical staff.
England, meanwhile, will begin their home summer with two Test matches against New Zealand, slated to take place from 2 June. Archer’s Sussex colleague Ollie Robinson has broken into the squad and will be hopeful for a game time, especially after a prolific season.