Jofra Archer likely to be fast-tracked in the English side for Ashes, World Cup

Young fast bowler Jofra Archer is one of the hottest properties in the world cricket at the moment. The teams of various T20 leagues are eyeing him for his exceptional bowling skills. He has the ability to constantly clock speeds in the vicinity of 145 kmph. Moreover, his precision with the yorkers in the death overs has fetched him a lot of praises. In addition to his bowling might, Archer is also a very athletic fielder and a handy lower middle-order batsman.

Commenting on his rapid rise, the story began in Barbados. He played for the West Indies U19 side before moving to England in search of better opportunities. He wishes to follow the footsteps of his fellow Barbados player, Chris Jordan, who went on to play for England. Jofra Archer has been very successful in the County cricket for Sussex. But his moment of claim to fame came during the 2017-18 edition of the Big Bash League.

He was signed up by the Hobart Hurricanes and he came up with splendid performances in the season. His excellent show in the BBL fetched him a big price tag in the IPL 2018 auctions. He fared very well for the Rajasthan Royals in the tournament and claimed 15 wickets in 10 outings. Now, the recent reports in MyKhel suggest that the English administrators are pondering over fast-tracking Jofra Archer to the English side.

The current norms and the procedure

The current norms and the procedures of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is prohibiting him from doing so. As per the normal rules, any player has to live in England for seven straight years to be eligible to play for England. Earlier, this limit was just 4 years. The ECB increased this in order to boost the native English players in the side and at the same time, prevent the Kolpak players from making inroads in the English national team.

The only case in which the criteria can be overturned is if the 12-member board set up by the ECB grants a majority of votes to let a player play for England before serving 7 years in the country. And now, it is being understood that England are keen on having Jofra Archer for the next Ashes and also for the World Cup 2019.

For the latest cricket news, follow CricTracker.