Luckless Archer to miss season with stress fracture

ENGLAND bowler Jofra Archer has suffered another major injury setback and is facing an indefinite lay-off after a stress fracture of the lower back.

World Cup winner Archer (pictured) has been sidelined for over a year by a persistent elbow problem that has required two operations but was targeting a comeback for Sussex in the Vitality Blast later this month.

There were hopes that he could play some Twenty20 cricket for England before the end of the season but things have taken a sharp turn for the worse.

The England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed the 27-year-old seamer has sustained another worrying injury that is likely to increase existing question marks over his international future.

Stress fractures usually affect bowlers in the 19-24 age bracket and can be expected to result in around eight months on the sidelines. As an older player, Archer’s rehabilitation may be at the top end of that estimate.

A statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board read: “After being diagnosed with a stress fracture to the lower back, England and Sussex seamer

Jofra Archer has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

“No timeframe has been set for his return. A management plan will be determined following further specialist opinion over the coming days.”

He is the third England bowler to be diagnosed with a stress fracture in the past week, with Lancashire’s Saqib Mahmood and Yorkshire’s Matthew Fisher both receiving similar news. Meanwhile, fast bowler Mark Wood admitted his progress from an elbow operation is going slower than anticipated, leaving him “clutching at straws” to stay upbeat. The pace ace had surgery five weeks ago and had to withdraw from a lucrative stint with Lucknow Supergiants in the ongoing Indian Premier League.

He is bowling off half a run up and hopes to be at full tempo in a fortnight before returning for Durham and England in the shorter forms, but a Test comeback remains some way off yet.

Wood said: “It’s slow going at the minute. I’m just struggling to get over that sort of half run up tempo just because every time I bowl, there’s still a bit of swelling. But they’ve assured me that that’s normal, it’s obviously still a bit raw.”*