Anderson defends Archer

JAMES Anderson sympathises with the backlash Jofra Archer has faced on social media but is hopeful his England teammate will be available for the #raisethebat series decider against the West Indies.

Archer missed England’s series-levelling win at Emirates Old Trafford after being withdrawn from the squad and placed in isolation for five days for breaching the team’s biosecure protocols. The 25-yearold was fined and given a written warning following an unauthorised trip to his flat in Hove, and he revealed in his column for a national newspaper that he has faced criticism and some racist abuse in the wake of his infraction. With the series finely-poised at 1-1, Anderson is confident both he and Archer can take the field tomorrow.

“We’ve not seen much of him because he’s been in isolation for a few days. I’m sure he’ll want to play in this game because it’s such a crucial game, the series resting on it,” Anderson

said. “He’s said about his frame of mind and that’s something that he’s going to have to sit down with the captain and coach and figure out.”

Archer has featured in just eight Tests, taking 33 wickets at an average of 28.12 with three five-wicket hauls, but has come in for some scrutiny online due to some inconsistent displays.

“I think the scrutiny is very different, you do feel more under the spotlight,” Anderson added. “It’s just finding coping methods for that, finding ways of dealing with the extra attention.”