CRANK IT UP, JOF!
Coach Silverwood urges paceman Archer to bowl quicker
Jofra archer has been urged by head coach chris Silverwood to ‘step on the gas’ as england contemplate a recall for their most exciting fast bowler ahead of tomorrow’s crucial third Test against Pakistan.
Silverwood insisted that archer, who was rested from the rain-ruined second game, has not been held back by the elbow injury that spoiled his tour of South africa.
and he admitted the two men had discussed the speedgun after a summer in which archer is yet to reproduce his 2019 ashes spell at Lord’s, where his bowling touched 96mph and felled Steve Smith.
england may yet go into the series finale at Southampton’s ageas Bowl unchanged as they seek to convert a 1-0 lead into their first win over Pakistan in a decade.
But archer could easily replace Sam curran at a venue where he troubled West Indies’ top order six weeks ago. and if that happens, he
knows his coach will expect him to crank it up — in the right circumstances — just like he did to Smith.
‘Jofra firing at that sort of pace is very exciting,’ said Silverwood. ‘All of us watched those spells last year and went, “Wow”.
‘It’s hard to operate at those high ends all the time. He is still very young in his Test career. The expectations have got to match where he is in his circle of learning.
‘It’s to recognise situations when and when not to do it. So if there’s an opportunity to blow an end up and open the door for us, then you step on the gas a little bit.
‘These are conversations I’ve had with Jofra, so I’m not telling you anything he hasn’t heard from me.’
With Mark Wood also in the frame after sitting out the last four Tests, Silverwood conceded England could omit off- spinner Dom Bess, who hasn’t bowled in three of the last five innings.
But much will depend on the nature of the pitch, with preparation hampered by more rain yesterday.
‘It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve gone in with an all- seam attack, so it’s certainly something we will consider,’ said Silverwood.
Following the widespread ridicule of cricket’s bad- light regulations during the second Test, Silverwood is also full of left-field ideas to prevent further stoppages.
‘It was very frustrating,’ he said. ‘To have everyone in the bubble sat around was hard work. You feel for the viewers at home and we were just here sat around twiddling our thumbs.
‘There’s a lot of chat going on about possible solutions and there are a few we can look at, such as a possible change in the colour of ball. Whether pink is the answer I’m not sure, but could we use a lighter shade of red instead of the real dark reds that bowlers look at because they swing more.
‘The earlier start time makes a lot of sense to me. What is the harm in starting at half ten? We have a period we could use at the start of the day. But we lump it all on the end of the day when we know light is probably going to be an issue again. So to me the earlier start time would be perfectly acceptable. I’ve had no official word it’ll happen. But in my opinion it would be a good idea. I know there are chats going on around it. There will be no complaints from us if it happens.
‘It should be straightforward. We’re all here anyway. It’s not like any of us are travelling. It wouldn’t be very difficult to make it happen.’
On the issue of bad light, Silverwood was open to ideas of improved floodlights or yellowtinted glasses for batsmen.
‘Could we get to a stage where floodlights offer a minimum standard of light? I’m not an expert but could that be achieved? And the (light-enhancing) glasses — is that an option as well?’ he said. ‘We all want to play as much as possible. That’s what we’re here for.’
One subject that elicited a more lukewarm response from the England coach was a recall for leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who has not played any kind of first-class cricket since the first Test against West Indies at Bridgetown in January 2019.
National selector Ed Smith spoke encouragingly on Tuesday about Rashid’s red-ball credentials. But, even with winter series scheduled against Sri Lanka and India, Silverwood took a more cautious line.
‘I haven’t spoken to Rash,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to close the door on anyone but equally I’d like to see him play some red-ball cricket as well.
‘He is coming off the back of a shoulder injury and I’d like to see him play the longer form to make sure his body is capable of holding up to that workload.’