England bowler Jofra Archer has revealed that retirement could potentially be on the horizon for him if his injury record doesn’t begin to improve.
Once perceived to be the guaranteed successor to the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, the frighteningly quick bowler hasn’t been able to fulfil his potential.
He has now stated that, “I don’t know if I have another stop-start year in me.”
It is difficult not to feel sympathy for the Sussex player. Archer is 29 now and with the years passing by it is clearly taking a toll on him mentally.
Archer seemed to have the world at his feet in 2019 as he was instrumental in England winning the World Cup, with the then 24-year-old bowling in the super-over as England saw off New Zealand in the final at Lord’s to clinch a maiden title on home soil.
After the success he had enjoyed, Archer was featured in the Team of the Tournament alongside teammates; Jason Roy, Joe Root and Ben Stokes.
He went on to show his brilliance again in the thrd Ashes test of the series that same year, taking six wickets for 45 runs in the first innings, in what was only his second-ever test match.
In 2021, the injury problems started, with him needing operations on his elbow before suffering a back injury in 2022.
After seeming to have found his rhythm again after playing a blinder against South Africa in the third one-day international of the 2023 series, he took six wickets for 40 runs.
But Archer again suffered an injury setback with a recurring injury in his right elbow. He went on to miss the 2023 Ashes series and could have played an important part, as James Anderson didn’t look at the races.
Archer’s career bares similarities to Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff, both of whom were part of the famous Ashes victory in 2005.
Flintoff himself said that he would drop “anyone” to accommodate Archer in the 2019 World Cup triumph and his assessment proved to be an accurate one.
(Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Jones and Flintoff both suffered injuries that prevented them from reaching the heights they were expected to get to, and now Archer, who turns 30 next year, is looking like he could face a similar predicament.
While a retirement isn’t the solution, he or England want, he may be forced into it if he can’t maintain a long run of matches.
If he can manage to remain injury-free, there is still plenty of time to establish himself as one of England’s most prolific bowlers of the 21st century.
Regardless of whether or not this will be possible, his name will forever be written into the English cricket history books, as a key member of the 2019 World Cup winning team.
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
Watto had fewer standalone moments because his best efforts opening with Katich set so many innings up for those that followed.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Yeah and then he got out to Tufnell like 78 more times in tests. Tufnell! Junior should never have gotten out to Tufnell. In fact I'd suggest no one should have. Tufnell. Sheesh
The Knightwatchmen who say Nii
Roar Rookie
It hurt his too despite nothing riding on it in the actual match situation.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Yeah, but reverse sweeping to Tufnell? That hurts my heart
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
logically, there are 50% more boundaries getting hit, but also 50% more singles being taken, and above all, a significant reduction of dot balls being bowled. You need to prove that. Because I've looked at a completely random snapshot of games across world cups, and your statement is looking increasingly false.
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
Least dot balls is also not a good idea. Bernie has forgotten that the dynamics of each inning is totally different and that way a second innings is undertaken is entirely dictated by how the first innings was played. The dot ball idea only works if both innings are conducted simultaneously.
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
Deflections, not overthrows. But that wasn't the reason they lost. Guptill not knowing where he was relative to the boundary and gifting 6 runs lost them the game.
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
Hill by mouth Henry Hill Is up one still Up with Jack And up with Jill Nobody gives A hill of beans For this hill Of hilly has-beens But Clem Hill Should have had a hill Named after him Called Clem Hill Hill For a man called Hill He made a mountain of runs Including 99, 98, 97… He was heading to one!
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
the ball didn't reach the stumps. deflection not overthrows
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
A Clem Hill worth dying on Choppy.
The Knightwatchmen who say Nii
Roar Rookie
Well that's actually the most horrifying part of the whole farce: they weren't simply just caught on the hop on the day and had to come up with a solution to a completely unexpected scenario - the dead beats actually sat down beforehand with all the time in the world, long before the tournament itself, and actually somehow managed to come with such a ridiculous, outrageous concept.
JohnB
Roar Rookie
While I sympathise with your distaste for the result and agree that at every opportunity the way in which England won should be emphasise, 2 comments - first, if one of the Kiwis hadn't taken a dumb shy at the stumps which resulted in 4 overthrows (off Stokes), the Kiwis would have won (we can all have our own opinions as to whether that would have been a better thing); and second, the rules of the tournament which everyone signed up for (possibly without all having read them) were that in the particular set of circumstances that arose, the winning team would be the one scoring the most boundaries. Perfectly fine to think that that was a stupid rule, but that was the rule. On Archer - just as the Kiwis losing that WC final was down to a very avoidable act by one of their players, had Root not treated Archer like a medium pace stock bowler in NZ and grossly over-bowled him, there's a very good chance the injury that's hobbled him ever since wouldn't have happened. So, plenty of sympathy for Archer, not a great deal for England. You get a bowler like Archer in your side (especially when he should really have been playing for someone else) and you treat him like gold dust, or risk the consequences.
Diamond Jackie
Roar Rookie
Unfortunately he was over-bowled by England in tests and this is the result. A shame.
The Knightwatchmen who say Nii
Roar Rookie
That's just an assumption you make without taking the trouble to look into it. Par rates are 50% higher today than 40 years ago, but don't assume it is merely on account of more boundaries: logically, there are 50% more boundaries getting hit, but also 50% more singles being taken, and above all, a significant reduction of dot balls being bowled.
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
Imagine if Shane Bond hadn't retired early, there would have been some records begging there.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Glowing? Sheesh Bernie dunno if I'd say glowing endorsement. And I'm yet to do my review on Waughlock. But my thoughts on Trumper: a legend. The greatest player in his time. No wonder he got a grandstand named after him. Although I do feel Clem Hill should have the Clem Hill on the hill.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
I can't stay angry at Dwarshius.
The Knightwatchmen who say Nii
Roar Rookie
Thanks Chopster. Your glowing endorsement means a lot to me.
The Knightwatchmen who say Nii
Roar Rookie
That dismissal left Australia 3 for +398 in 3rd innings. He had scored 140 in team's pivotal first innings. All runs in that 3rd innings were completely inconsequential at individual batsmen's level.
Gamechanger
Roar Rookie
Smith was never the same player after that concussion. It was obvious, that when he encountered Wagner’s relentless short pitched bowling a year or so later, he was on the look out for THAT TYPE OF BALL that decked him.