Lewis out to make Jofra become world No.1
ONE of the frontrunners to join England’s revamped coaching team, Jon Lewis, would relish the chance to continue his work at the highest level and believes he could help guide Jofra Archer’s journey to becoming ‘the best bowler in the world’.
Lewis already has an important day job in charge of England Under-19s but has been an increasingly familiar figure around the senior set-up in recent months, working with the limited-overs squad during the summer before being seconded to the recent tour of South Africa and next month’s trip to Sri Lanka.
There has not been a full-time pace specialist on the backroom staff since Chris Silverwood was promoted to head coach in 2019, but the ECB is set to rectify that in the new year amid a round of new appointments.
Lewis is well placed, well thought of and well known to many of the squad, but none more so than Archer - who is rested from next month’s Sri Lanka trip but could lead the country’s attack for a decade with good management and a fair wind.
When Archer first swapped
Barbados for Sussex as a teenager in 2015, Lewis was not only on hand as a seam bowling mentor but an impromptu landlord as well.
“Jofra lived with me at home for two years, he was part of the family,” he said.
“I worked with him coming through at the club and he’s just grown and grown.
“When he first started out as a professional he had all the attributes now he’s a more rounded player.
“I know he wants to be the best bowler in the world and he’s not far away already.”