For Archer, it’s hurting game now COMMENT

JOFRA ARCHER should be looking forward to giving the West Indies the hurry-up this week.

He should be relishing the chance to build on his promising performance at the Ageas Bowl and being a match-winner again.

But, instead, he is sitting in his room, on his own, with time to think.

The only reason he is not playing is down to his own unnecessary actions – and that should hurt.

He cares deeply about playing for England and he does have more talent than most, but neither of those things matter if you make bad decisions that cost you a Test match.

And that is what he needs to learn most from this experience.

The England bubble is a warm and generous place, even when there isn’t a pandemic, but his team-mates have every right to feel let down by him – and that should hurt too.

Archer is not the first young sportsman or woman to make a mistake, but he has to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

There have been one or two lapses in judgment – such as riding a Segway before play in New Zealand or wearing his sweater around his waist in between overs – but they were minor gaffes compared to this.

He will surely learn his actions have far-reaching consequences and he has real responsibilities as an England cricketer. A person with power.

One of the saddest aspects of this was watching both teams take the knee before play in support of Black Lives Matter, with the one black player involved in the England side not out there doing the same.

That did hurt.