Jofra Archer joins England camp in Mumbai, raises World Cup hopes

England spearhead Jofra Archer has reunited with the squad ahead of their crucial game against South Africa at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on October 21. Notably, the 28-year-old has suffered multiple injuries ahead of the ongoing ODI World Cup, which ruled him out of the initial phase of the competition. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided not to include him in the 15-member squad, and hence, he didn’t travel with the team originally.

However, after losing two out of three matches in the marquee competition, England are in a dicey situation at the moment. In order to qualify for the semi-finals, the Jos Buttler-led side cannot afford to drop more points, and hence, Archer joining at this crucial juncture could be vital. Notably, he is not a part of the 15-member squad yet and, hence, will not be able to take part in the match against South Africa. However, there remains a possibility of a last-minute change as Reece Topley was seen suffering from a knee injury in the last match.

Interestingly, Archer played his last professional match in the month of May, and his fitness remains to be seen. He has represented England in 21 ODI matches so far, picking up 42 wickets in the process. He was extremely important in helping England win the 2019 ODI World Cup, and in his absence, the Three Lions haven’t been the same as far as bowling is concerned.

Chris Woakes, who is bowling with the new ball in Archer’s absence, is leaking a lot of runs, and that remains to be a concern. Sam Curran’s form remains under the scanner, and England need to resolve their pace unit immediately. Hence, in case Archer joins the 15-member squad, he can definitely bolster the pace unit in order to push the team to retain the title. 

On the other hand, the batters, too failed to step up in the last match. Harry Brook proved to be a one-man army, but there’s a lot of room to improve for the defending champions.