LEEDS: England will rely on right-arm pacer Jofra Archer’s ‘fear factor’ in the four-match T20I series against Pakistan starting May 22 in Leeds.
Archer, who turns 29 in April, has not played professional cricket since pulling out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2023 due to elbow discomfort. However, he has started playing domestic cricket and his much-awaited comeback is just a few days away.
Having recently featured in a Second XI Championship match, Archer was back to his best when he bowled at Beckenham on 17 May. England batsman Sam Curran banks on Archer for the next series.
“It’s great to have players from Healy,” he said. “I’m sure the England fans and players are very excited to have him back.
“Obviously he has that extra touch and fear factor that the opposition can bring. We certainly hope his injury is behind him.
“Geoff has had a tough two years – we all hope he can come back and bring the A game he knows he can do for England.”
England are the reigning T20 champions and will now look to get back to their best form before they begin their World Cup defense in the West Indies in June. Jos Buttler’s men reached the 50-over World Cup in India last year and do not want to repeat history this year.
“The message from Jos [Buttler] and the coaching staff is that they want to put the team together, maybe not for the last time,” he said.
“We have been apart for a long time, so this game will be very important. We want to play as a team and get used to our roles.
“There’s a lot of buzz around the team. It’s like we’re back in power, I think the boy will really bounce back from this cup.”
