ENG v PAK 2020: "Just because you have pace, doesn't mean you bowl shorter", says Gough on Archer 

Darren Gough said Jofra Archer is still finding his feet at the Test level for England.

By Kashish Chadha - 24 Aug, 2020

Former England fast bowler Darren Gough believes Jofra Archer is still finding his feet at the Test level. That, Gough pointed out with the evidence of Archer's performances through the course of this summer, almost a year into his career at the highest level. 

While Archer's role in the attack has been to play around the intimidation factor as an enforcer around James Anderson, Stuart Broad & co, at times, it is felt by many that the pacer could do with traditional consistent line outside the off-stump, which then also makes the bouncer a lot more of a wicket-taking threat at his pace. 

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"I think he's found it difficult," Gough said on 'Cricket Debate' for Sky Sports as Archer went for 3.40 runs per over through his 17-over spell in the first innings of the third Test in Southampton against Pakistan without any wicket. 

"His life had gone 100mph. He would never have believed that he was going to be rushed through, get into the England side, win a World Cup and actually bowl the last over - it wasn't actually a great over, was it?" 

"But he was the guy who bowled it and takes the credit for it. It'll do because it won the World Cup!"

Gough, himself generally the quickest English bowler on show during his playing days, added: "I'm a massive, massive fan of Jofra Archer, I think he has so much potential. I don't think he's reached it yet, he's still trying to work out his own body, how he's going to be used by Joe Root to get the best out of him."

"If you look at his career so far, he has struggled on pitches that haven't had that extra pace. The warm-up matches and the Tests in New Zealand, he struggled and the pitches he's played on this year, when it has been slow, he's not quite got his lengths right."

What Archer brings to the table is very rare in the English set-up. Hence, Gough thinks the youngster should quickly learn to use his powers judiciously. 

"If you look at the guys who have got the wickets, your [Stuart] Broad, [Chris] Woakes and [James] Anderson: guess what? It's pitching the ball up. Just because you can bowl at 90mph-plus doesn't mean you have to bowl two yards shorter than everyone else."

"The batsmen, in the back of their mind will be thinking 'that ball is coming down at me at 90mph', whether it is pitched up or short. Put the ball in the right areas at whatever speed you bowl and you're going to create problems for the batsmen."

"I just think he has been caught in two minds in his head, people want him to bowl quickly and by doing that he has ended up bowling too short on the slower pitches we've played on," Gaugh concluded. 

Archer will have the chance to make amends when play resumes on Day 4 with Pakistan following-on after being dismissed for 273 on Sunday in response to England's mammoth 583/8 (declared). 

By Kashish Chadha - 24 Aug, 2020

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