England captain Jos Buttler has backed fast bowler Jofra Archer and opined on his return to cricket after a long-term injury, saying not to expect too much from him too soon. Speaking to Sky Sports, Butler said that it is exciting to see Archer back in the team, adding that it will be tough for him to make a comeback even after a long injury lay-off.
“It is exciting to have someone like Jofra back in the team. I played against him in SA20 and he was going down it at a reasonable pace. It must have been incredibly difficult for him to make a comeback after such a long time away,” said Buttler. “When we see him, his performance level is so high, but coming back from long-term injuries, don’t expect too much from him too soon. It’s great to see him back on the pitch, doing what he loves to do, and in such a big year for English cricket, with an Ashes series in the summer and then a 50-over World Cup later in the year, fingers crossed Jofra will be available for all those things,” said Jos Buttler.
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However, Butler again said that there are many places in the team that need to be filled before the World Cup in October.
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“We don’t have too many matches before the World Cup so they are all important for us to try and get some places and give people some confidence in the role clarity. We have a pretty good idea of the team we want to take to the World Cup, but there is competition for places and people and that pushes people and standards. The series in Bangladesh will be crucial, probably the only real chance we get to experience the conditions we can in India at the World Cup,” Jos Buttler concluded.
