Archer looking forward to T20 World Cup, Ashes - Broad

Archer was ruled out of next month's two-test series against New Zealand due to an elbow injury, which has been troubling him over the last 18 months.

Published : May 18, 2021 10:50 IST

Archer returned to action for Sussex against Kent last week but bowled only five overs in Kent's second innings. (File photo)

England fast bowler Jofra Archer was "frustrated" with his nagging elbow injury but was determined to be fit for the Twenty20 World Cup in India and the Ashes series against Australia later this year, teammate Stuart Broad said.

"He's obviously frustrated with the elbow," Broad told Sky Sports News on Monday.

"It's quite a longstanding issue now and it keeps raising its ugly head at times he doesn't want it to.

In the latest episode of MatchPoint Paradox, Vijay Lokapally, Shayan Acharya and Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya leave the IPL behind and explore the developments heading up to the men's team's World Test Championship campaign. The trio also discuss the developments in the women's game this week.

 

"He is down and disappointed at the moment, but he is also realistic in knowing that there is some huge cricket to come, with a T20 World Cup in October and then the Ashes series. He wants to get right for that," Broad added.

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Archer was ruled out of next month's two-test series against New Zealand due to the injury, which has been troubling him over the last 18 months.

He had surgery in March to remove a glass fragment from a tendon on his right hand, an injury he sustained in January when an attempt to clean his fish tank went wrong.

The Barbados-born 26-year-old returned to action for county side Sussex against Kent last week but bowled only five overs in Kent's second innings due to pain in his elbow.

After the home series against New Zealand, England hosts limited-overs series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan before India visits for a five-test series in August-September.

Need for clear communication

Broad is loathe to the idea of missing a Test but the seasoned England pacer doesn't mind being "rested" sometimes either as long as the communication is clear, something, which he believes, did not happen when Ed Smith was national selector.

"Is it realistic I'm going to play every Test? No. But if the communication is done well then you understand the reasons for it," the 34-year-old told the British media.

"It's when the communication disappears; that's when players can't see reasons or see through it," he added.

"You understand why you might miss certain games to be fit for other games. That along with building experience into different players.

"A lot of people have bosses who don't rate them as much as other people and I think he was mine," Broad said.

"He probably didn't rate me as much as other players. That's fine but I kept trying to prove some selection decisions wrong...from my point of view we struggled a bit on the communication side and probably saw the game of cricket slightly differently," he added.

"...I was disgruntled because the selectors had said the first Test team of the summer will be our best team. For someone who had been through the Ashes successfully, been through South Africa successfully and stayed fit, I felt it was my shirt," he reasoned.