England fast bowler Jofra Archer turned up for Karnataka in a two-day practice match against Sussex on March 15 at Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Ground in Alur, near Bengaluru. As usual, Archer was fast and furious and broke the stump with a fiery delivery.
Archer travelled with the Sussex team that is in India for a 10-day pre-season camp. He played as a substitute for the Karnataka team which featured a mix of youth and experienced players.
Archer, who hasn't played competitive cricket for nearly 11 months, seemed to bowl without any discomfort and picked up a couple of wickets.
He broke the off stump by breaching Sussex batter’s defense. His first wicket was Tom Alsop who scored 60 runs. He bowled seven overs including one maiden, and picked up a couple of wickets for 22 runs.
Archer pulls out of IPL auction
After missing one season due to injury, Archer played just five games for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the previous edition. He was picked for Rs 8 crore by the five-time IPL champions. As Archer’s struggle with injuries continued, the England Cricket Board (ECB) asked him to skip the 2024 season after the pacer signed a two-year central contract. The decision was a part of workload management ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies.
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"Our plan is the T20 World Cup, building him up slowly. I saw him bowl in the Caribbean and it was like he'd never been away. I don't want to get back to this thing where he plays and then goes down again. He wanted to play in the IPL, but we said not this time. Hopefully, the years he has missed he can add to the end of his career. He is such a talent," Key told BBC’s Tailenders podcast.
Archer’s long absence
The 28-year-old's last international appearance was against Bangladesh in March 2023. He missed the entire ODI World Cup 2023. The Barbados-born bowler's last Test appearance was against India in February 2021. England missed his services in Ashes 2023. The board will look to have him back before the T20 World Cup.
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