I HAD A TEAR IN MY EYE WHEN YOU WON THE WORLD CUP … NOW IT’S MY TURN!
THE TABLES HAVE TURNED FOR GREAT FRIENDS CHRIS JORDAN AND JOFRA ARCHER AS ENGLAND BID FOR MORE WHITE-BALL WORLD CUP GLORY
Sportsmail columnist Jofra archer was one of the stars of England’s glorious summer of 2019. He misses the twenty20 World Cup through injury but his close friend Chris Jordan will be integral to Eoin morgan’s team’s attempt to become the first in history to hold both white-ball titles simultaneously.
ahead of today’s opening match, they spoke to riCHard Gibson about their first acquaintance in barbados, how their relationship has developed… and yoga! RICHARD GIBSON: How did you first come across Jofra, CJ? CHRIS JORDAN: i used to go back to play for barbados in the winter when i was first at surrey, so our first meeting was in the nets at Queen’s park in bridgetown.
He greeted me with a very fast bouncer but thankfully i’d been pre-warned because shai Hope, the West indies wicketkeeperbatsman, ran up to the stumps and told me, ‘this guy’s a bit quicker than you think.’
i thought, ‘i’ve played a bit of cricket, i’m sure i’ll be all right.’ but it was the fastest bouncer he could bowl and if it had been on target, i’d have been cleaned up. it was quite an introduction. JOFRA ARCHER: shai wasn’t lying, either! When someone new comes along, you’ve got to let them know who you are. it’s like, ‘i’ve never seen you before, this is my area.’ RG: is that a barbados thing? there’s such a great tradition of fast bowling across the Caribbean. it sounds like you were marking your territory, Jofra! JA: a lot of stuff happens in barbados cricket that’s predictable. Certain balls in a game you can call. if someone bowls a bouncer, they’re 100 per cent going to try to hit your stumps next ball.
a bouncer is always followed by a yorker — but if the bowler misses it, it’s going for six or four. and when it does, you’re giving a lot of chirp. RG: so even as a young lad, you gave Chris some chirp? JA: not really because he’s much older than me and there’s a fine line between chirping and showing respect. if he was my age, he would definitely have got some, but i was still feeling him out at that stage. CJ: i don’t necessarily see it as a matter of respect. bowling like that is a way of getting our intensity up and our competitive juices flowing. if the competitiveness is there it can really bring the best out in you.
i’d say that our sessions have always had that edge. it kind of depends on who bowls at who first. if it’s me and i give him two bouncers, i know i’m going to get three or four back. Equally, if he gives me three or four, i’m giving him five or six.
our friendship started with that bouncer and there have been
‘Jofra bowled me his fastest bouncer. If it was on target he’d have cleaned me up’
plenty more since. soon after that first ball, we started speaking about the game, about bowling, batting, got to know each other. We trained together almost every day for four months and naturally grew closer. that’s how life goes. RG: it’s been well documented, Chris, that you played a big part in Jofra coming over to the UK as a teenager. Can you remember that first conversation when it became clear that, like you, he had a british parent? CJ: Very vaguely as it was one of the first conversations we had. it came as a surprise but i don’t think it was at the forefront of our minds. at that stage, no one could have called what would transpire. JA: Honestly, when he told me that he was going to speak to mark robinson, his coach at sussex, i doubted he would. it wasn’t as though i’d known him for years. but to this day i’m very grateful for everything he did. occasionally, i look back and think, ‘imagine if that bouncer had hit CJ’. or ‘What would have happened if he didn’t like me?’ life might have been a little bit different. CJ: never, man. it’s all part of the game. Growing up in the Caribbean, you know how tough it can be to get a break and knowing my own path, getting a scholarship and moving to surrey, it was nice to be able to present a similar opportunity to Jof.
putting a word in for him was a no-brainer. then, when he came over i knew what it was like in the professional environment, fending for yourself, growing up quickly, so i was always decently placed to pass on advice. but the journey was always going to be his. i could only suggest or guide. it was always going to come from within him to make the strides he did. RG: Given how close you are, what was it like, Jofra, when CJ handed you your test cap at lord’s? JA: We call each other pretty much