Next month, England’s World Cup squad will travel to India, and a significant inclusion is grabbing headlines. Luke Wright, the national selector for England’s team, has confirmed that despite recent fitness challenges, pacer Jofra Archer will travel with the team as a traveling reserve.
Persistent injuries have marked Archer’s journey, with a recurring stress fracture in his right elbow sidelining him for a third consecutive summer and a second successive Ashes series. This injury even forced an early end to his stint with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
However, Jofra Archer’s determination and resilience have shone through as he underwent rehabilitation under the guidance of the England and Sussex medical teams to manage his injury.
Despite concerns about his fitness, the England selectors opted not to include Archer in the final 15-player World Cup squad due to his ongoing elbow problem. Instead, they designated him as a reserve player, guaranteeing his place in the squad for the trip to India. This decision by national selector Luke Wright signifies that Archer could step in if injuries plague the team during the tournament.
“Jofra would benefit most from travelling with the team, continuing to work on his recovery, and spending time with the physios and team. We are doing everything we can to help him become the best he can be. He might be able to replace [a player] towards the end of the tournament if there is an injury, but we are still monitoring his fitness on a daily basis, so we’ll need to keep that in mind,” Wright said.
The England World Cup squad officially announced its lineup on Sunday, September 17th, with a notable change: Jason Roy was replaced by Harry Brook.