I CAN BRING ENGLAND THAT EXTRA BIT OF LUCK
Jofra Archer knows he could be the missing ingredient in recipe for World Cup success
IT WAS cricket’s worstkept secret — but it still took Jofra Archer by surprise when he was heading to play five-a-side football with his mates and Ed Smith called.
‘I was on my way to football. I just felt the phone vibrate,’ Archer says of his England World Cup call- up as he sits down with
Sportsmail at Lord’s. ‘I honestly thought it was my mum or one of my friends as I thought I’d have got the phone call (from chairman of selectors Smith) a lot earlier in the afternoon. I said to myself, “He’s probably not going to call today”. So I was quite surprised.
‘I called my mum straight away. I’d just left for football so I think she thought I was calling about something else. I told her and she was more excited than I was!’
His mother, fashion designer Joelle, is not alone. Her Manchester United- supporting son has caused quite a stir.
The 24-year- old fast bowler’s accelerated path to the England set-up is well- documented. He was born in Barbados but has a British passport through his English father. Last November, the ECB changed their residency rules, meaning Archer would be available in time for the World Cup build-up. He then impressed in warm- up matches against Ireland and Pakistan to such an extent that he was a shoo-in for Eoin Morgan’s No 1-ranked side.
The prospect of his call-up led to David Willey, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood expressing concerns. But, Archer says, there was no resentment.
‘Some of the guys got my number off (Sussex team-mate) Chris Jordan and messaged me that they were misquoted in some of the interviews that they had done. They weren’t shy in coming over and saying, “That’s not who we are or how we operate”.
‘I’m always a bit shy. But I had CJ with me and he is one of my closest friends, so as long as I had him I knew I would be fine. I knew some of the other boys from playing at county level and overseas franchise tournaments. But when I got to training the environment was great.’
If it’s not five-a-side football — and one imagines England director of cricket Ashley Giles will be telling him to hang up the astroturf trainers sharpish — Archer fills his time listening to dancehall, rap and hip-hop music as well as playing Fortnite on his Xbox. But cricket has always been his first love.
He got into the sport back in Barbados through his uncles, cousins and playing in his neighbourhood. It is where all of his family still live, apart from his father in Liverpool. Archer will certainly be well supported by his family in the next six weeks.
‘My family was over for the ODI series against Pakistan because I planned for them to come over just for that as I didn’t know I would be in the World Cup squad,’ he says modestly. ‘Unfortunately, my step-dad, Patrick, has used up most of his vacation days to watch the Pakistan series so he’s gone back to Barbados. My mum is still here and will be until July.’
And can England stay in the tournament to the very end?
‘Well, the boys have been working very hard and that’s shown by the series we’ve just had against Pakistan, where we won 4-0,’ Archer says ahead of the ECB’s
Express Yourself campaign. ‘We’re going to play at someone’s home ground every week so hopefully those players can have that little extra push to do well there and then that in turn will be good for the team.’
Sussex’s home, Hove, is not one of the 11 World Cup venues but there is one ground that Archer can’t wait to run out at.
‘I quite like the Oval actually,’ he says. ‘It goes back to playing for Sussex as we always wanted to beat Surrey at their home ground, so I’ve always come to the Oval with that bit of extra pace.’
And is he worried about the step up to the 50-over game after all the Twenty20 he has played?
‘T20 is pretty intense from the first ball to the last ball,’ he says. ‘If I can bring that intensity and mindset for 50 overs then I’ll be in good stead to play to the best of my ability.
‘But I hope I can bring that extra bit of luck. England haven’t done so well in the past World Cups so I hope I can bring them the trophy this year.’
To do that England may have to see off old foes Australia. Archer is likely to get his first taste of the Ashes rivalry tomorrow in a World Cup warm-up at the Ageas Bowl.
‘ I’m looking forward to it because I can’t wait to experience the rivalry for myself,’ he says. ‘Watching it on TV is so different to being in it so hopefully it goes well.’
Another fixture that catches the eye is England’s group- stage match against the West Indies on June 14, also in Southampton. However, the bowler believes that game is too far down the line to engage in any banter with the West Indians.
But he did provide a warning to anyone from any country who may try to sledge him.
‘If I get hit for six, I might have a word but I’d much rather stare than speak,’ he says.
It was Archer on the receiving end of sledging on Monday as he and his friends, who play for Egg Fried Reus, lost their five-a-side match against Turnip Road FC in Horsham.
‘Yeah, we lost, Turnip Road were pretty good,’ he says. ‘One of the guys didn’t know who I was but then he saw something on Twitter and had a cheeky little dig at me.’
If things go right for England over the next few weeks, there will not be many sports fans out there who won’t recognise Jofra Archer.
THE ECB has launched its bold #ExpressYourself campaign to excite and inspire fans across the country as England prepare for a massive summer of cricket. Visit www.ecb.co.uk.
‘I called my mum straight away — she was more excited than I was!’