Jofra Archer Ticking All Boxes, Shaping Up Well for Ashes and World Cup: Mathew Mott

England fast bowler Jofra Archer is “ticking all the boxes” following his return from debilitating elbow and back injuries but is still “not fully firing on all cylinders”, their white-ball Australian head coach Matthew Mott has said.

Archer, 27, has not played for England since March 2021 and not taken part in any competitive match since July 2021, as he struggled with elbow injuries and back stress fracture.

He was scheduled to return to the field last year after undergoing multiple elbow surgeries in 2021 but a back stress fracture days before his comeback further delayed his return.

ALSO READ | ‘Australian Squad for Ashes in England Could Have Several Surprise Inclusions’, Says Ricky Ponting

Reports this season suggest the tearaway bowler, bought by Mumbai Indians for Rs eight crore, will play the entire IPL 2023 season.

Mott, however, said the bowler’s workload is being carefully managed. He played two of the three ODIs in South Africa, and Mott repeated the same regimen for his ace pacer during the recent three-match 50-over series against Bangladesh.

The coach said he was acting on medical advice to not give Archer back-to-back games.

“Not really, no. The medical advice was definitely not back-to-back games.

“He (Archer) would admit that he’s not fully firing on all cylinders. You can just see he’s ticking all the boxes to get back to his best,” Mott, who took over the England white-ball side after guiding Australia women to 50-over World Cup glory last year, was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

Archer, who played a vital role in England’s ODI World Cup triumph in 2019 with 20 wickets across 11 matches, has grabbed 12 scalps in the four ODI appearances he has made — against SA and Bangladesh — since returning to the international fold in January this year.

He had amazing figures of 6/40 in the third ODI against South Africa during the thee-match series in January-February. The paceman had earlier made an eye-catching return to competitive cricket, taking 3/27 for MI Cape Town in the SA20 league.

ALSO READ | Kane Williamson to Join New Zealand Team Late for 1st Test against Sri Lanka

Archer’s workload from now until the start of the Ashes at home will mostly be T20 games — firstly the three-game series against Bangladesh and then the IPL — and Mott is certain the bowler will be firing on all cylinders during the Ashes and the 50-over World Cup in India later this year.

“He’s a box office player . He’s fitted back into the group beautifully and it’s an incredible effort for a fast bowler to be out for that long and come back and play as he has done.

“He just seems to be really slowly, strategically just making sure he’s doing it right and ticking over and come the Ashes, come the World Cup, I’m sure you’ll see him back to his best.”

Get the latest Cricket News here

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)