Jofra Archer went through ‘excruciating pain’ during the 2019 World Cup

Jofra Archer was fast-tracked into the England team for the recently concluded World Cup. And the decision paid rich dividends as he went on to become the Brits’ leading wicket-taker in the tournament. He was lethal with the new ball and was also effective at the death. Moreover, he bowled the famous Super Over that took the Three Lions to glory in the Final at the Lord’s.

The 24-year-old finished the tournament with 20 wickets. However, amidst some sterling shows in the mega event, the Barbados-born Archer had to encounter some physical difficulties. Archer, who returned to play for Sussex in the T20 Blast, had to manage a side strain throughout the mega event.

I only ever needed a week to 10 days, says Archer

He even had to resort of pain-killers in order to keep himself in shape throughout the World Cup. “It was pretty excruciating. I’m fortunate it’s settled quickly,” Archer was quoted as saying in BBC Sussex. “It was pretty bad. I couldn’t do it without painkillers, which was from the Afghanistan game onwards,” the speedster mentioned.

Archer told how he couldn’t get enough time to recover from the injury completely due to the chock-a-block schedule. “I couldn’t get a week’s rest in during the tournament because of how close the games were. I only ever needed a week to 10 days,” Archer stated.

Archer is yet to make his Test debut and wasn’t picked for the Three Lions’ match against Ireland at the Home of Cricket. However, there is a chance of him getting picked for the upcoming Ashes, which gets underway with the first Test on August 1 at the Edgbaston in Birmingham. The squad for the high-profile series is scheduled to be announced on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Archer feels that he can perform well with the red-ball and is looking forward for the opportunity to show his prowess in Test cricket. “I’m just ready to go out there and show the guys what I can do with a red ball. I think my red-ball record is better than my white-ball record, so I just can’t wait to get the opportunity,” he added.