ECB Gets Angry As Jofra Archer Plays For Barbados Club Amid Ongoing Rehabilitation
Jofra Archer plays for old Barbados school team – without telling the ECB(x.com)
In a stunning twist, Jofra Archer, England's esteemed fast bowler, recently took to the field for a low-profile match in Barbados, donning the colours of his former school side, Christ Church Foundation. The surprise appearance showcased Archer's cricketing prowess, raising eyebrows within cricketing circles, especially as England's Managing Director of Men's Cricket, Rob Key, seemed unaware of the impromptu event.
Archer, 28, sidelined since March due to an elbow injury, managed to sneak in a remarkable performance for Foundation against Lords. Mixing pace and left-arm spin, he grabbed attention with figures of 4-18 on day one of the three-day match. Notably, he also contributed with the bat, scoring 11 runs, adding an unexpected chapter to his journey of recovery.
Rob Key, expressing surprise, stated, "I'm not aware of that – I'll find out." Archer's absence from the Test squad bound for India in January is attributed to the meticulous management of his post-injury return, with Key emphasizing a cautious approach, avoiding setting specific deadlines for Archer's comeback.
"We're just going to take it slow with him; we don't want to put any sort of deadlines on him," Key emphasized, acknowledging the challenges posed by Archer's recurring elbow and back issues.
Despite Archer expressing interest in the 2024 IPL auction, England opted to oversee his rehabilitation independently, prioritizing his readiness for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States. As Archer returns to the UK, concluding his training stint in the Caribbean, questions arise about the transparency of communication within the England cricket camp.
In the words of Key, "Jofra was bowling out here. As you often see with Jofra, he rocks up, ends up bowling 95 miles an hour, and he looks like he's an absolute genius. But we're just going to take it slow with him."
The unexpected return in a Barbados club match added intrigue to Archer's recovery saga. England remains cautious, steering clear of setting deadlines and taking control of his comeback. Archer's last professional appearance was in May, and his absence from the Ashes was due to a recurrence of a stress fracture in his right elbow, a persistent issue since his breakout year in 2019.
The human aspect of Archer's journey is evident in Key's words: "We're trying to learn from what we've done in the past with Jofra. Actually, now we're taking control of him coming back."
 "Sumit Gupta")
