Reports: Jofra Archer keen on Test return with 'The Ashes' in sight, holds talks with Test skipper Ben Stokes

Jofra Archer is all set to make his return to international cricket after almost two years with the upcoming One Day International (ODI) series against South Africa that is scheduled to begin from 27th January. Before his return for England, the 27-year-old fast bowler has held talks with Ben Stokes during the SA20 in South Africa according to the Daily Mail and reportedly told his Test skipper that he wants to play in the Ashes slated to start in June. 

Archer has looked fully fit during the ongoing SA20 games. In one game recently, he registered a top speed of 92.4 mph and has been clocking over 90 miles per hour consitently. He hasn’t played a Test match for England since the India tour in 2021, but now he is set to make a return for the national side and his workload has to be managed carefully to ensure his availability for the Test side in the upcoming English summer. 

Archer had also featured in one of the warm-up games for England in November, after which, Ben Stokes said, "He's had a long time off with injury and as exciting as it is, we've got to be careful not to rush him back because we don't want to see Jofra on the sidelines for this amount of [time] again. Hopefully, we can have Jofra fit and ready for the Ashes. That's something we're looking at and it would be great to have him available for selection."

The England Cricket Board was under the impression that Archer will play only two matches for MI Cape Town in the SA20, but the pacer appeared in four matches as the franchise was eager to get the most out of its signing. He is also about to feature in this year’s IPL which will be held before the Ashes. After the ODI series against South Africa, ECB is likely to wait and see how the pacer pulls up before taking a call on his future participation.

For a better experience: Download the CricTracker app from the IOS App Store and Google Play Store