England all-rounder Jofra Archer could return to competitive cricket as soon as early 2023 after making good progress in his recovery from his injury. He is currently training and completing his rehabilitation with the England Lions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Archer’s last competitive appearance came for Sussex in July 2021. He underwent multiple surgeries the same year to treat his elbow injuries.
His recovery took a turn for the worse after he sustained a stress fracture to his back. A spokesman for the England Wales Cricket Board (ECB) told Cricbuzz:
“He is currently in the UAE with the England Lions team and is continuing his rehab. He is making excellent progress and the view is that he will be looking to play competitively again during the early part of 2023.”
The England Lions squad, along with a few select members of the senior team who have been named in the upcoming Test series against Pakistan, are currently in the Middle East.
Archer’s bowling progress is currently being monitored by coach Jon Lewis. The all-rounder is also working closely with veteran pacer James Anderson, whose last international outing came against South Africa in September.
Jofra Archer has been retained by Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of IPL 2023 mini-auction
Archer, who missed the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after being roped in by the Mumbai Indians (MI) for a whopping sum of ₹8 crore, has been retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2023 mini-auction.
Archer is expected to play a vital role in MI’s transition, forging a new-ball pairing with the currently injured Jasprit Bumrah and even playing a pivotal part in the death overs.
His pace and height arguably bode well for the Wankhede Stadium, with the tournament returning to a home-and-away format in 2023.
Apart from his franchise, the ECB is also keeping a close eye on Archer’s recovery process. England will want to add the right-arm pacer among their ranks in a bid to retain their ODI World Cup title in India next year.
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