Courtesy-ESPN cricinfo
Following the surgery on his long-standing right elbow ailment last week, Jofra Archer faces a race against the start of England’s Test series against India in August. On Wednesday morning, the ECB revealed that Archer underwent surgery on Friday on the advice of a doctor, and that he will now undertake an intense recovery phase working with the ECB and Sussex medical teams.
His progress will be assessed by his consultant in around four weeks, at which point he will be given further information on when he may return to bowling. Archer’s participation in the first Test of the India series, which begins on August 4 at Trent Bridge, is jeopardized due to the injury’s timeline.
England’s management hopes that by treating the condition now, they can secure Archer’s fitness for the T20 World Cup and the away Ashes series this winter, although Archer will have few chances to play competitive four-day cricket before the first Test against India.
In early July, Sussex play two County Championship games as well as their last five T20 Blast group stage fixtures, but there is no first-class cricket planned in England between July 14 and the start of the India series three weeks later. While Archer might play in second-team fixtures or for the Southern Brave in the Hundred’s debut season, that may not be enough to demonstrate his health for a Test series.
Archer’s elbow difficulties were first revealed when he was forced to withdraw from the New Year Test in Cape Town at the start of 2020 due to a stress fracture. The controversy arose during England’s Test and T20I series in India, when Archer returned home ahead of the ODI phase of the tour and his time with the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.
Archer also underwent surgery in March to remove a glass shard from a tendon in his hand that he received while attempting to clean a fish tank in his bath, but his elbow injury caused him to withdraw from the IPL entirely. He bowled 29.2 overs for Sussex’s 2nd XI in early May, but could only bowl 18 overs in his comeback match in the County Championship two weeks ago, prompting the ECB to determine that surgery was the best choice.