Jofra Archer's comeback journey: A story of resilience and determination
28 Sep 2024
Jofra Archer, England's fast-bowling sensation, is back in international cricket after a 14-month injury hiatus.
His latest outing in the fourth ODI against Australia at Lord's, where he bagged two wickets for 33 runs, helped England level the five-match series at 2-2.
This comeback is a big moment in his on-and-off international career, which kicked off with an impressive debut at Lord's in 2019.
Here's more.
Archer's journey through injuries and recovery
Recovery path
Archer's journey has been a rollercoaster, overshadowed by injuries like stress fractures in his back and elbow.
But despite all that, he's still been a key player for England.
His determination paid off when he got a two-year central contract from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in October 2023.
Now that he's fully recovered, Archer's feeling positive about what lies ahead in his cricketing career.
Archer's return to back-to-back 50-over matches
Match performance
Archer's recent outings are his first back-to-back 50-over games in four years. He bowled only seven overs on Friday but made a big impact.
If he plays in the series finale in Bristol on Sunday, it'll be his 24th competitive match this summer, including the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
As per ESPNcricinfo, this would be his highest number of games since 2019 when he bowled over 681 deliveries.
Archer's future plans and aspirations
Career goals
Archer is really looking forward to his cricketing future.
"I'm still on the park and we're almost approaching the end of the summer. So for me, that's a take. I wanted to play a summer, and then I want to play a year, and then I want to play a few years," he said to reporters after England's win.
His next big aim is England's white-ball tour in November, where he hopes to play even more matches.
Archer's performance and future plans
Performance review
Jofra Archer has proved that he still possesses his lightning pace and nifty skills, even after a four-month stretch of intense cricket.
When asked how he was feeling, he cheekily responded, "I feel fine — do I look fine?"
Now, he's taking it slow and easy to avoid any repeat of the stress fracture in his right elbow that haunted him back in 2023.
Discussions about a return to Test cricket have been pushed back until 2025.
England tame Australia in 4th ODI at Lord's
ENG vs AUS
Ben Duckett's 63, Harry Brook's 87 and Liam Livingstone's 27-ball 62* saw England score 312/5 in a rain-curtailed 39 overs at Lord's on Friday.
England smashed 25 fours and 12 sixes with Livingstone leading the way with 7.
Adam Zampa took 2/66 for the visitors. Australia then folded for a score of 126.
Matthew Potts claimed a four-wicket haul with Brydon Carse taking three wickets as England won by 186 runs.
