England fast bowler Jofra Archer is all set to miss a significant part of the upcoming English summer after deciding to undergo surgery on his right elbow. After a chat with a specialist, the decision was taken for Archer to undergo surgery on Friday.
The issue with Archer’s elbow first came to prominence when he was forced to pull out of the New Year Test in Cape Town at the start of 2020 and was subsequently diagnosed with a stress fracture. Since then, he has managed six Tests in which he has claimed 12 wickets at a cost of 40.16 apiece. He was also forced to withdraw from the recent IPL season.
Jofra Archer likely to miss England Test series
While the ECB is reluctant to put any timeframe on his return – or go into any detail about the exact nature of the operation, it is understood that Jofra Archer is unlikely to be a part of the five-match Test series against India in August and September. England have not given up hope of him playing some part. However, they are confident that the Barbados-born fast bowler will be fit to be a part of the ICC T20 World Cup and the Ashes later this year.
“At the moment, he has a bit of an impingement in his elbow,” England’s bowling coach, Jon Lewis, told the Guardian. “A lot of fast bowlers get it in their ankle, so it’s comparable but a different part of the body. Put a lot of pressure and flexion through any joint, it will take a bashing. But bowlers come through ankle impingements. I don’t foresee it being a long term major issue.
“From what I understand, either short-term or long term, his elbow will recover. I would expect him to play a lot more international cricket for England. This is just a small blip on his journey,” he added.
Meanwhile, this will be the second bout of surgery Jofra Archer has undergone within a few weeks. He had a fragment of glass removed from a tendon in his hand in March sustained in an accident while attempting to clean a fish tank.