Root must get the best out of Archer to save his captaincy
England quick needs work to fulfil potential Silverwood leaving the tour after bereavement
A great fast bowler is the most valuable asset any Test captain can have. It might not be an exaggeration to say that Joe Root will have a long tenure as England’s Test captain if he makes the most of the fastest England bowler ever recorded (at 96mph), Jofra Archer; but not if he does not.
England’s hierarchy, who hastened Archer’s availability by getting the qualification period cut from seven years to three, appreciate him all right. “Jofra is gold for us,” said the England director Ashley Giles.
The question is whether Root, as captain, and Chris Silverwood, as head coach, can make the most of their prize asset. Silverwood, previously the bowling coach, defined what they want of Archer: “We want every ball to be an effort ball.” Wherein lies the implication that Archer does not bowl every ball with manifest effort, and the challenge in front of Root.
Precedent suggests that some astute psychology will have to be involved. It was all very well in the days of forelock-tugging deference: Douglas Jardine took his two fast bowlers, Harold Larwood and Bill Voce, out to dinner, made them feel special, and they were fired up for blowing Don Bradman’s head off with Bodyline. If that was a masterservant relationship, it was masterpupil perhaps when Len Hutton unleashed Frank “Typhoon” Tyson.
In less hierarchical times, however, a fast bowler cannot be simply broken in like a horse. Ray Illingworth had to exert all his strength of character to maximise John Snow; so, too, Michael Brearley to win Ian Botham over to his side.
At least Root knows that Archer is biddable: the outcome of this year’s World Cup could be said to have turned on Eoin Morgan’s relationship with Archer. New Zealand needed only three runs to win off the last two balls when Morgan strolled over to Archer to liaise. Had the final yorker to Martin Guptill been a foot fuller and a low full toss, England would have won nothing.
It was a good head start for Root to acquaint himself with Archer during the World Cup, ahead of the Ashes and this winter, but 11 games did not allow much time. Though they did not know each other a year ago, Root and Archer had friends in common: Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler of Rajasthan Royals, Archer’s Indian Premier League team.
Under their influence, Archer is clearly a part of the England team, one of the lads, not a superstar on a pedestal. The bone of contention – or area of concern – has been that Archer eases himself into his day’s work, like an old-fashioned fast bowler: a few stretches and turn the arm over on the way to the middle. England’s hierarchy, however, are keen that Archer should hit his straps at the start of the day, instead of his second or, more often, third spell being his fastest.
“If you bowl in short spells – having been a fast bowler, that was my job – you come in and bowl hard and for that short period of time you try and make something happen,” Silverwood, who will leave assistant coaches Graham Thorpe and Paul Collingwood in charge when he departs on Saturday, said. “At the same time, I thought the way Jofra bowled first thing on the fourth morning was fantastic, so if he can get that as a starting point, I think we’ll be in for a treat.”
The two sides, if this example is anything to go by, are coming together.
From Archer’s point of view, he could feel entitled to question the workload asked of him in his first Test abroad. He bowled 42 overs, Sam Curran 35, and Stuart Broad 33. Surely the most experienced pace bowler should bowl the most overs, or the slowest of them, not the fastest.
Having been through the pain barrier for Yorkshire, Middlesex and in six Tests for England, for a profession, Silverwood is at least sympathetic.
“It is difficult. I mean, your body hurts at times, there’s no two ways about it. Certainly, as you get older, your body hurts every day. You’ve just got to choose to do it, really.
“We’ve just got to remember to manage the expectations on Jofra. He’s still very young into his Test career and he’s learning all the time. Another dynamic has arisen in world cricket. Larwood had no alternative to fast bowling but to go back down the pit in the Nottinghamshire coalfield; Tyson and Snow trained as teachers. Archer can sign a Twenty20 franchise contract any day of the week.
His central contract is worth just under £500,000 a year, with bonuses to go on top: he can earn as much by playing a few T20 tournaments, and bowl far fewer overs in the process. England do not want their racehorse to be alarmed at the sight of a red Kookaburra and bolt to greener pastures.
Meanwhile, Silverwood will return to England after the second day of the second Test following a family bereavement. Assistant coaches Graham Thorpe and Paul Collingwood will run team affairs.
‘If you bowl in short spells you bowl hard for that period and try to make something happen’