ARCHER PUZZLE
Decision is coming over spot for Jofra
England go into the last one- day international today before they name their World Cup squad knowing they must soon decide whether Jofra archer really is the ‘final piece of the jigsaw’.
a tumultuous, high- scoring series against West Indies sees England needing to win here at the darren Sammy Stadium to equal australia’s world record of 10 successive 50-over series wins.
But that will count for little if they do not take that form into a World Cup that will define the one- day revolution launched four years ago after the last humiliating tournament.
It is fair to say archer, who qualifies for England on March 17, has had a decent series by not playing, even though England’s initial attempt to get him here for at least the last couple of these 50-over games and the Twenty20 matches next week was doomed to failure.
Such has been the dominance of bat over ball, notably in Wednesday’s extraordinary fourth game in grenada that featured more than 800 runs and 46 sixes, that this has been a series where bowling reputations are enhanced in absentia.
West Indies’ bold and brilliant attempt at reaching 419 to win, only failing by 30 runs when adil Rashid took the last four wickets in five balls, has given England food for thought over their World Cup bowling options. England, as reported in
Sportsmail ahead of this series, are very much considering fasttracking the exciting archer into their squad, as was acknowledged in grenada by coach Trevor Bayliss. ‘There’s a decision to be made on archer at a later date,’ he revealed. ‘I think it’s getting down to that being the final piece of the jigsaw.’
That decision will be made when England declare their hand on april 23, but the bowlers most under threat from the emergence of archer will probably have to wait until the three Twenty20 games that end this tour to try to stake their 50-over claim.
david Willey, yet to feature in this series, and Tom Curran, who made one wicketless appearance in Barbados, look certain to miss out today with England wanting to pick their best team to try to repel Chris gayle and company on another flat pitch.
That means Mark Wood, who reached 95mph on this ground as England picked up a consolation win in the third Test, will play after becoming the one fast bowler to enhance his reputation on this tour.
Wood was integral to Wednesday’s win that gave England a 2-1 lead but it was Rashid who underlined his growing importance in white-ball cricket when Eoin Morgan turned to him with West Indies needing 32 to win off the last three overs — even though he had gone for 83 in nine overs.
The result was four wickets to give Rashid the most expensive five-for in one-day international history — but a priceless one for a bowler who has started to be known here by his Yorkshire nickname, The Hoover.
‘I’ve been called that for the last seven or eight years,’ said Rashid with a smile.
‘It came at Yorkshire in one game when I hoovered up a few late wickets. There have been other times for England when I’ve come on late and I’m confident I have a game-plan that will get me wickets rather than getting hit.
‘If I’m thrown the ball, I am definitely confident.’