Looking to get Jofra Archer ready for the T20 World Cup 2024: Rob Key

Rob Key, Managing Director of the England men's team, provided an update on Jofra Archer's comeback. He stated that the ace speedster will not play the Test series against Pakistan but is likely to get selected for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in West Indies and USA from June 2.

Since his heroic performance in England's 2019 ODI World Cup victory against New Zealand, Archer has been battling with a persistent elbow injury, keeping him sidelined since May 2023. As the domestic cricket season began last Friday, the 29-year-old was observed intensifying his rehabilitation efforts. When asked about the possibility of the pacer making a comeback for England in the T20 World Cup, Key sounded optimistic.

Also read: Jofra Archer eyeing international return with T20 World Cup

"Absolutely. Jofra has been out with Sussex in India for pre-season and bowled quickly out there, bowled really well. He has now gone back to the Caribbean where he's going to play a bit of club cricket, all looking to get himself ready for the T20 World Cup. He'll hopefully play in the series against Pakistan [in May], but it's always fingers-crossed at the moment with Jofra," Key told Sky Sports. 

Key emphasised that Archer's focus for 2024 will be solely on white-ball cricket, with the fast bowler being exempted from the risks associated with playing Test cricket. He highlighted the strain that fast bowlers endure on their bodies, indicating that Archer's return to playing all formats will need to be gradual.

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"We're going to take it slower so that we get him back for not just a short period but we get him for a long period. The whole plan with Jofra is he's going to play white-ball cricket this summer and going into the winter. Then hopefully next summer, when we play India and then into the Ashes later that year, we get him back for Test cricket. It's a slow process to get him back for all formats," Key added.