Jofra Archer Ruled Out of T20I Series in SA

Pace bowler has elbow injury

Lords Cricket Ground England

England bowler Jofra Archer will miss next the three-match T20 series in South Africa through injury.

The 24-year-old is still suffering from the elbow injury that saw him miss the final three Test matches against the Proteas.

He has now returned home from South Africa to continue his recovery.

He has been replaced in the T20 squad by Saquib Mahmood. He will remain in South Africa after the three-match ODI series that takes place from February 4. The T20Is are set to be held on February 12, 14 and 26.

Archer may also struggle to make Sri Lanka series

England will head to Sri Lanka following their exploits in South Africa but Archer doesn’t know if he’ll make that tour.

“It's getting better slowly, but it might be another two weeks,” he said in an interview with the Daily Mail.

“I couldn't bowl at all in Cape Town. Now I'm bowling at a higher intensity, but not the highest intensity. I had it in the World Cup last summer and then started to feel it on day four of the first Test.

“Now we go to Sri Lanka, and it might be a repeat of the slow pitches in New Zealand.

“If the elbow isn't good enough I can't see them sending me. We've got a long summer of cricket coming up, we've got a T20 World Cup and the physios will have a plan for my wellbeing.”

Archer still committed to Test cricket

Meanwhile, Archer reassured England fans that he is still committed to playing Test cricket despite a tough time in South Africa.

“Do I want to play Test cricket? Yeah, yeah. I've got a few milestones I'd like to achieve — so I very much want to play Test cricket,” he added.

“It's not true that modern cricketers only want to be white-ball cricketers. Because I had a good World Cup, that doesn't mean I only like World Cup cricket.

“I've played seven Test matches and got three five-wicket hauls. Even in the ones when I didn't take five, I took two or three. I'm pretty all right at Test cricket. It's a bit early to try to cement one form for me.”

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Chris is passionate about all forms of cricket and loves writing about the sport. He has a background in both sport and news journalism and has written cricket and other sports content for several years now. Chris has written about all levels of the game from regional club cricket in England to the international stage. He now brings that experience to the iGaming industry where he combines it with his love of betting. Chris loves to bet on many different sports, but particularly enjoys seeking out the best value bets on offer and passing that on through his coverage.