Picture Credit: @AFP
England fast bowler Jofra Archer might not be available for selection for the upcoming T20I series against India owing to an elbow injury. The injury, which was earlier in 2020 diagnosed as a stress fracture, has now put doubts over his participation in the India T20I series scheduled to begin on Friday, March 12 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Archer had missed the final Test match against India due to the same reason.
Meanwhile, Chris Silverwood, the head coach of the England side, has stated that Archer won't be undergoing surgery at this point in time. He added that the whole issue is being discussed with the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) medical team and a call will be taken based on that. Providing further update, Silverwood said that the decision on Archer's participation in the T20Is will be taken after monitoring his condition.
Want Jofra to be fit for all forms of cricket: Chris Silverwood
"Jofra’s elbow did flare up a little bit and the medical staff are managing that at the moment. Obviously, we’ll monitor his progress. The medical staff are talking about how we deal with this long term. He’s trained today with the white-ball squad. We’ll be monitoring his situation," Silverwood was quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"I’ll be guided by the medics. We’ll see where we end up with him. I want Jofra to be fit for all forms of cricket. I want him to have a long, successful Test career," he added.
Archer did not have many positives to take away from the India Test series. He bowled a total of 35.1 overs and a mere five in the third Test in Ahmedabad. He also did not feature in the second Test at Chennai owing to his elbow issue, although the ECB had said then that the injury was not linked to any previous condition.
"Could we limit the number of overs he bowls? It’s not something I would go out and predict but we’ll find out in the course of time. The important thing for me at the moment is that Jofra gets every resource we can provide to make sure he does have a long and successful Test career," Silverwood concluded.