Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ARCHER’S MIND MUST BE RIGHT
Jimmy warns Jofra to be honest after Covid cock-up
JIMMY ANDERSON says England need to be sure Jofra Archer is in the “right frame of mind” before selecting him for the series decider against West Indies.
The fast bowler, whose trip home to Brighton broke team bio-secure protocols and led to him being dropped and fined, broke his silence in a newspaper column on Monday.
In a version, printed in Ireland and not authorised by the ECB, Archer admitted struggling mentally with the fallout of his blunder and to “seriously considering taking a break from cricket”.
Speaking from Old Trafford yesterday Anderson said he believed Archer will want to play in the third Test but, warned that player, captain Joe Root and coach Chris Silverwood need to be honest with each other in the build up.
“We’ve not seen much of Jofra because he’s been in isolation for a few days,” said Anderson. “He’s said about his frame of mind and that’s something over the next two days he’s going to have to sit down with the captain and coach and figure out if he’s in the right place to play.”
In his column, Archer admitted an “error of judgement” but insisted the reaction to his trip to Brighton has been disproportionate, hurtful and has included racist abuse on social media.
Anderson admitted the landscape had changed since he made his debut but that Archer needs to develop mechanisms to deal with inevitable scrutiny talent and success attracts.
“It’s just finding coping methods for that, finding ways of dealing with the extra attention,” said Anderson.
“I was fortunate when I came into the England team there was no social media back then, but the way people can get their opinions out there, it’s quite visible.
“It’s just finding methods as a player to deal with that, and I think using the team around him as well, whether that’s family friends, management and the players and coaches here. It’s important everyone does that, not just Jofra.”
The third and deciding Test is set to ‘turn red’ in support of the Ruth Strauss Foundation, set up following the death from cancer of the wife of former England captain Sir Andrew Strauss.
After giving an update on how the charity has progressed since the first red day at Lord’s last year, EX-ECB director of cricket chief Sir Andrew was asked for his thoughts on the Archer situation.
“He made a substantial mistake,” he said. “But I think it’s been handled sensibly and sensitively from the ECB and I think he’s got the message loud and clear.
“Him feeling like public enemy No.1 isn’t a great thing for his mental health either. The team will be very keen to reintegrate him. It’s time to move forward.”