Allan Border, a former Australian captain, expressed his opinion on England fast bowler Jofra Archer’s injury-related exclusion from the Ashes 2023.
Notably, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that the fast bowler will miss the entire summer due to a recurring stress fracture in his right elbow.
For those unaware, the ECB announced the 15-man squad for the upcoming one-off test against Ireland and verified Archer’s exclusion. In addition, the pacer will miss the June 16 start of the highly anticipated Ashes 2023 series.
Allan Border, a former cricketer-turned-broadcaster, stated that the Three Lions would miss the elite pacer in their bowling arsenal prior to the crucial Ashes series. Archer, who offers raw speed that can unsettle the batting unit, was cited as an example of a player with an ‘X-factor’ who can disrupt the opposition.
“Jofra Archer frightened our team in the previous series, so his absence is significant for England. It is advantageous to have a bowler with X-factor, whom you can send on knowing he will upset the opposition regardless of the condition of the pitch. Border told Fox Cricket, “You don’t see them on the shelf very often.”
Jofra Archer traveled to Belgium for medical treatment during the IPL 2023.
Recently, the pacer assumed the uniform of the Mumbai Indians for the 16th season of the Indian Premier League. Nonetheless, he sustained a recurring elbow injury during the competition and traveled to Belgium for additional examinations before being ruled out for the remainder of the current season of the premier league.
Archer has donned the Whites in 13 matches for England, accumulating 42 wickets with a top bowling performance of 6/45. Archer made his final appearance in the longest format in 2021 during the third Test against India in Ahmedabad, during which he took one wicket.
Meanwhile, the ECB has appointed Ollie Pope as the team’s deputy with immediate effect, and Jonny Bairstow returns to action for the One-off Test against Ireland following a bizarre golf accident.