Archer can shoulder himself into contention for England Cup berth
England have not picked uncapped allrounder Jofra Archer in a preliminary 15-man World Cup squad but have named him in squads for the warm-up games against Pakistan and Ireland. Barbados-born Archer, who shone for Sussex last season and in Australia’s Big Bash Twenty20 competition for Hobart Hurricanes, is eligible for national selection under new England and Wales Cricket Board residency rules.
The 24-year-old could get a World Cup call-up if he impresses in the warm-up games as changes can be made to the squad until May 23, seven days before their tournament opener against South Africa at The Oval.
Joe Denly, whose last ODI appearance came in October 2009, retained his place in the World Cup group as a backup spinning allrounder.
Although he could be among the pool of players, including Liam Plunkett and Tom Curran, who will feel the pressure if Archer performs well over the next few weeks.
Archer’s ability to more than 144km/h bowl at and his lower-order power-hitting skills have earned him a number of high-profile admirers, including England regulars Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler.
“The selection panel has been impressed with Archer’s in domestic franchise fare.
“He is a very talented and exciting cricketer,” national selector Ed Smith said. performances and