CHENNAI: England have been building a squad for the World Cup since the day they were kicked out of the previous edition by Bangladesh. Unlike India, who still have a couple of vacant slots, Eoin Morgan’s side has evolved into a closely-knit unit that has changed the way ODIs are played. As the hosts get closer to picking a 15, they are tempted to try a rookie, who hasn’t played a single international yet. It isn’t a case of them panicking at the eleventh hour. It is more about strengthening an already formidable side. For a side that has many a match winner, England seem to reckon they lack an X-factor.
And who has that? Jofra Archer.
The 24-year-old Bajan born in Bridgetown became eligible to play for England only last month after England and Wales Cricket Board’s relaxed the residency qualification period, which now needs a player to spend only three years as against the seven.
Which is why England reckon having Archer — a three-dimensional cricketer — will possibly fix any missing puzzle. And never mind the criticism that has been greeting ECB just for the thought of Archer’s inclusion in favour of those who made them the No 1 ODI side. When Archer made the journey across the Atlantic five years back, little did he know he would be one of the most sought out players in the shorter formats, which is why Rajasthan spent Rs 7.2 crore on him at the 2018 IPL auctions.
You ask him about his journey and he takes a few seconds before chronicling the events that made him. “It has been exciting,” Archer said. “I got to travel to new places, see places around the world, which I have never seen before. Experience different cultures which I’ve never experienced. It has been good... I am still learning.”
It surely must have been a huge learning curve. Born to an English father, Archer’s childhood days were spent on tracks. Inspired by Jamaica’s success in athletics, Archer was dreaming of giving Barbados an Olympic medal. When he wasn’t running on the track, football by the beach was his favourite pastime before cricket occupied his time.
He moved to the UK thanks to how the game was heading back home. Having represented the Island in age-group levels and even West Indies at the U-19 level, Archer took the drastic move for competitive cricket. It is a topic he doesn’t want to talk about for he seems more keen on dwelling into what lies ahead except for the England call-up.
Archer, a T20 freelancer who has played in Big Bash League, PSL finds the IPL, “similar to the one I imagined it to be. Very competitive. Last year we almost had identical records. No easy games.” When you prod him about the price tag, he is more intimate. “It felt good. It might sound wrong, but when you get picked for such a huge sum, you pretty much have high expectations. I think I was a bit lucky at some point to show why I was bought for such amount of money. I’m grateful to Royals for doing that because I have never played any sort of international cricket. It was a huge risk and I always thought for that price, they could have bought someone else, but here I’m.”
More than the World Cup, Archer’s enduring dream is to play red-ball cricket which he calls, “the only format that bowlers get the advantage and a feeling that is unparalleled when you win matches with teammates.” And the Test cap? “It doesn’t matter, which country or what team it is against. The opportunity to get selected and playing will give me probably a lot of excitement for a lifetime.”