England fast bowler Jofra Archer has been ruled out of the ongoing Indian Premier League in a fresh injury blow ahead of the Ashes.
On Tuesday, the Mumbai Indians announced the 28-year-old will be replaced by England teammate Chris Jordan.
Archer, who has not played Test cricket since February 2021, only returned to international cricket in January after being sidelined for more than a year with elbow and back injuries. He missed the 2021/22 Ashes and recent T20 World Cup, where his additional pace could have been dangerous on Australia’s bouncy, fast decks.
His right elbow has continued to trouble him and the latest setback puts him in doubt for this summer’s Ashes and the 50-over World Cup later this year.
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“This guy (has) got a heart of a lion,” England Test captain Ben Stokes wrote on Instagram.
“We know what you’ve been through and what you’ve put your body through.”
Archer, who was bought by Mumbai for AU$1.48 million in last year’s auction despite not being available for the whole season, played five of Mumbai’s ten matches so far this season.
He looked off-colour when he did play, taking just two wickets, and reportedly travelled to Belgium to visit a specialist during a short IPL break.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said that Archer would return home “with immediate effect”.
“Archer has been recovering from right elbow surgery,” it said in a statement.
“However, pushing through the discomfort whilst recently playing, hoping it will settle, has proven challenging.”
The ECB added that Archer “will work on his rehab with the ECB medical department and Sussex County Cricket Club, respectively”.
If Archer was unavailable for the upcoming Ashes, it would come as a massive blow for England – the right-armer claimed 22 wickets at 20.27 during the 2019 series, troubling Steve Smith and knocking over David Warner three times.
Fellow speedster Olly Stone suffered a potential hamstring injury over the weekend during the County Championship, further depleting England’s bowling stocks.
Archer, Stone and Mark Wood are the only England Test seamers capable of exceeding 145km/h. Last month, Stokes revealed he had request “fast, flat” wickets for the Ashes, emphasising he wanted eight pace bowlers to choose from for each Test.
“Having the option of someone who can bowl above 90mph (145kph) is something any captain wants,” Stokes told Sky Sports.
“Test matches can be hard and gruelling on bodies and who knows what type of conditions we might be up against game to game?
“We might feel like high-end pace is something we want throughout the series, we might feel like it‘s not what we need in every game. But having options is something I want.”
The 34-year-old Jordan, who has played 87 T20 matches for England and taken 96 wickets, joins Mumbai for $360,000, according to the team’s statement.
The Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai, who are currently third in the IPL table, secured a six-wicket victory over the Royals Challengers Bangalore on Tuesday.
– with AFP
