The announcement of England’s 14-member squad for the three-match ODI series in January against South Africa paved way to the return of express quick Jofra Archer after a near two-year absence from the sport.
England’s Barbados-born right-arm quick had been on an absence from the game since March 2021, when he last turned up during the T20I series in India. From there, the 27-year-olod went through two bouts with surgeries for elbow and back issues.
Just when he was on a comeback trail from the two injuries, he was sidelined with a stress fracture that then ruled him out of the entire 2022 home summer.
The player bounced back with a trip to UAE with the England Lions team last month when he trained rigorously and also played a red-ball encounter against the senior Test team before it left for the trip to Pakistan.
Speaking about his trail on his way back on the field from Abu Dhabi in November, Archer had said he is not feeling agony over the repeated injuries but rather looking forward to the time ahead as he strives to be fit and firing consistently for the “next three to four years”.
“I’d rather take these last few months very seriously, more serious than probably all of the rehab. Because once this phase goes right, then it can set me up for the next three to four years injury-free. That’s the goal right now,
he was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Apart from Archer, also making a comeback to the ODI side for the first time since 2016 is Ben Duckett, one of the heroes of the side’s 3-0 Test series triumph in Pakistan. The selectors have also handed a call-up to young batter Harry Brook, who finished as the top scorer in the same Test series.
Left-arm pacer Reece Topley also looks set to play his first set of internationals since the end of the summer after undergoing “excellent recovery” from an ankle injury in only England’s second ODI series ever since Ben Stokes‘ shock retirement from the format in July. Also missing is Joe Root, who has been rested.
The first match of the three-game ODI series will be held on January 27 in Bloemfontein, which will also host the following one-dayer on January 29. The tour concludes with the third ODI in Kimberley on February 1.
The ODI series is part of the ICC Super League and will be played between the inaugural SA20 league, of which Archer will play two games for MI Cape Town to prepare for the ODIs.
