Jofra Archer is set to make his long-awaited return to first-class cricket tomorrow, despite not being named in the Sussex squad for their County Championship clash against Durham.
It has long been trailed that Archer, Sussex and England were targeting this game for a comeback, with national selector Luke Wright revealing the fact in his press conference after England’s squad for the first India Test was announced. It came as some surprise, therefore, when Archer was not included on Sussex’s social media squad graphic or website preview ahead of the game.
The ECB clarified that Archer was, in fact available, with the Daily Mail reporting that Archer’s absence from Sussex’s literature was an attempt by the club to limit the excitement around his return.
There is likely to be plenty of interest in Archer’s efforts over the coming two weeks, with the speedster set to play two County Championship games in an attempt to prove his fitness for the second Test against India. The 30-year-old last played a Test match in February 2021, with his most recent first-class appearance coming a few months later and over four years ago.
A string of injuries, including stress fractures to the elbow and back, have kept his game time limited, and while he has made an encouraging return in white-ball cricket, England have been cautious with him. Ben Stokes revealed ahead of the first India Test that Archer had repeatedly sent him messages suggesting he was keen to play against Zimbabwe, with the England captain having to temper his star quick’s eagerness.
Archer has played just 13 Tests, taking 42 wickets at an average just north of 30, but there is good reason for England fans to hope for more. His international debut in 2019 was one of the most hotly awaited in cricket history, the Barbados-born seamer having to undergo a lengthy qualification period as he racked up wickets in the IPL and County Championship. His first forays in an England shirt lived up to the hype. Archer played a starring role in England’s maiden men’s World Cup triumph, bowling the Super Over that clinched the final on a golden day at Lord’s. He then took the Ashes by storm, hitting Steve Smith on the helmet at Lord’s in a hair-raising debut spell before claiming six wickets at Headingley to set up one of the greatest Tests of all time, sealed by one wicket as Stokes hit 135*.
Since then, his caps have been limited, and in those he has played, he has at times not been 100 per cent. A fit and firing Archer, however, would be a crucial component of England’s Ashes arsenal.
The game itself is an important one in a hard-fought Division One season. Sussex, promoted in 2024, are third and Durham sixth, but just 11 points separate the two sides.
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