Keaton Jennings has been a bulwark of batting line-ups in the County circuit. Some seven years ago, before Jennings shifted over to the Red Roses County, he was representing Durham. In one of those second division games, Jennings was facing a young, curly-haired fast bowler from Barbados, Jofra Archer. In a few minutes, after getting out to the same bowler, Jennings might have wondered in the pavilion – what was that ball all about???
With a smooth run-up, Archer nicely decelerated the lower body by keeping the braking front leg ahead. There was a hint of movement off the deck but it was sheer pace that beat Jennings’ attempted defence as it crashed into the leg-stump. It was quite clear that Jennings couldn’t understand where all the pace was coming from. Simply put, Archer is deceptively fast.
In the coming years, across formats, the batting tribe got a taste of Archer’s offerings – be it his pace, lift, movement or variations. And then tragedy struck during England’s tour of South Africa’s in 2019-20. He didn’t play the second and third Tests of that tour due to a right elbow injury. Even the hopes of playing the final Test at the Wanderers and the T20I rubber were quashed because of the debilitating injury.
At that time, very few would have imagined that the elbow injury could have such a devastating effect on Archer’s career prospects. To find a solution for the elbow problem, Archer went under the knife on May 27, 2021. His woes didn’t end there as he had to again face surgery in December 2021. Just when everything seemed to be back on track, he was ruled out for the entire duration of the 2022 home summer, because of a stress fracture of the lower back.
The following year, he did make a comeback from his latest injury setback, partaking in the SA T20 League and a few limited-overs games for England. Just when he was expected to turn on the heat in the IPL, the elbow problem returned to haunt him. Amid speculations that Archer could miss the remainder of IPL, it emerged that he had flown to Belgium to consult van Riet, a world-renowned elbow surgeon, and a minor surgery was conducted. Soon, he was withdrawn from the tournament.
Some months later, it felt as if Archer would make it to the England main squad for the 2023 World Cup, especially in the backdrop of the untimely injury to Reece Topley. However, he once more felt some pain in his elbow during practice.
In the midst of all the doom and gloom surrounding Archer’s elbow issues, there was a silver lining. Finally, the England Cricket Board decided to play the patience game, where Archer would get back into action only if he was fully fit. For instance, Archer was eager to play in the just concluded IPL, but Rob Key, ECB’s managing director noted on Tailenders Podcast, “He wanted to play in the IPL, but we said not this time. Hopefully the years he has missed he can add to the end of his career. He is such a talent.”
Archer’s latest attempt to bounce back from the injury was a gradual process. In May this year, Archer was seen partaking in a club game, where he sent the stumps cartwheeling. He also was a part of Sussex Second XI. Subsequently, he was drafted into the England T20 squad for the Pakistan series, ahead of the World Cup in the USA and the West Indies.
So, how has he gone about bowling in the ongoing rubber? On expected lines, Archer seems to have not bowled at full tilt, yet he has touched 90mph. Archer has also effectively employed variations and mostly bowled to the fields that have been set. Basically, he seems to be in a good space at the moment.
It has to be mentioned that the elbow injury can be persistent. Alastair Cook, former England skipper, had once observed to the Test Match Special. “Tim Bresnan was never the same bowler after his elbow injury – they’re so hard to get right. He lost that yard of pace, and Jofra’s point of difference is that he can bowl genuinely quick. It’s a game-changer. The only thing now, though, is the advances in medical research and recovery of these injuries is better now. So, if there is ever a chance, they can get it right.”
You would rather write 1000 words on Archer charging to the crease and cleaning up the batter with the nip-backer or ushering in a vicious bumper, instead of his injury troubles. The rest of the cricketing world too would be holding its breath for Archer to make a successful return in the World Cup.