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England's managing director of men's cricket, Rob Key, gave his take on Jofra Archer's selection in the 15-player squad for their title defense in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies.
The 29-year-old quick's career has been plagued by injury and has barely featured for England in any format since 2021. His time on the sidelines has been mainly because of ongoing issues with his right elbow, for which he has undergone two operations. A back injury ruled him out of most of 2022. Key talked about Archer's inclusion in England's setup and stated that the speedster has been included in the squad because the management expects him to be "fully firing." "He (Archer) is back in for exactly that. We are all optimistic that he can get back, he is in the final stages now, and we have picked him because we expect him to be fully firing every time you see Jofra bowl, even before Christmas. It is just that as the level goes up, he is still quick. He still looks effortless when he does it; we just need to make sure and hope that he is robust enough to be able to stand up to whatever comes his way. Starting with the Pakistan series, then into the World Cup, and then we really look forward from there. He is due a lot of luck, and let's hope it comes in this series or in this World Cup," Key said in a video posted by Sky Sports on X. Archer made his last appearance for England in May 2023, and since then, he has been on the road to recovery from an elbow injury that forced him out for nearly 12 months. The path back hasn't been easy for Archer; since 2021, he has encountered multiple obstacles, including stress fractures, persistent elbow problems, and even surgery due to a freak fish tank accident. Key revealed that ahead of England's T20I series against Pakistan, which will kick off on May 22, Archer has been gearing up for the series as well as the marquee event, which will begin on June 1. "It has taken a toll on him to be out for such a long time. At the moment, he is out there in the Caribbean, playing club cricket. He is going to stay out there; I think his club team has a semi-final, which is going to be the last time before he comes back over here, where he will get into it," Key added. England will fly to the Caribbean on May 31 ahead of their first game against Scotland in Barbados on June 4. They are drawn in Group B at the T20 World Cup alongside Australia, Namibia, Scotland, and Oman. (ANI)
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