'I went into a dark place' - Jofra Archer opens up about his state of mind during recovery period

England speedster Jofra Archer has revealed how his stubborn elbow injury put him in a ‘dark place’ and also raised doubts over his career. The 27-year-old, who made his last international appearance in March 2021, has missed several important fixtures including the T20 World Cup last year and the all-important Ashes due to his fitness issues. While his return to the field isn’t confirmed yet, Archer’s primary focus is to remain injury-free for a year.

For the unversed, the right-arm pacer has undergone multiple elbow surgeries. While the first surgery didn’t make much difference, his condition improved after the second. At one point, Archer also harboured fears of losing his contract but the pacer is now confident about his future. Having mentioned this, Archer made it clear that he won’t ‘rush back’ from his injury.

Things immediately felt different after my second surgery: Jofra Archer

“After my first operation last May, my right elbow felt no different at all. Obviously, I wasn’t going to fully know whether it had been successful until I started bowling, but what I can say is that things immediately felt different after my second one in December,” Archer wrote in his column for The Daily Mail.

“Now, nearly five months down the line, it’s a relief the way things are. At one point, I thought I was going to lose my contract when things weren’t going well, but now I have confidence about what the future holds. Part of that is down to them not rushing me back,” he added. Archer further talked about his state of mind during the tough times.

“Having gone into a dark place last summer after the first operation, I can see why when people are not on the good side of situations like this they sometimes have a downward spiral in terms of mental health. It’s natural for anyone to worry about the future in that kind of situation, but not having to chase a contract gave me the time to rest properly,” he added.

Notably, Archer will feature in Sussex’s T20 Blast fixture against Glamorgan on May 26 and many eyes will be on him. The pacer would certainly like to make a significant mark in order to pave his way back to the England team.