Eoin Morgan opens up about Jofra Archer’s chances of making England’s World Cup squad

Archer was born in Barbados but has a British passport because his father is English.

Jofra Archer played for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2018 | Getty

Jofra Archer’s chances of representing England in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 looked very minimal even if the England & Wales Cricket Board fast-track his qualification. The Barbados born Jofra Archer is currently serving a seven-year qualification period while playing county cricket for Sussex.

If the reports are to be believed, ECB are contemplating about reverting back to a four-year qualification period, which would mean Archer would be eligible to play international cricket for England next year.

Archer’s inclusion in England’s limited-overs squad would certainly bolster the pace attack. However, England ODI captain Eoin Morgan reckons that it is too late for a player to emerge now and break into the already settled one-day side.

“Providing everyone is fit, I think so. He’s a guy that if he was English qualified we’d have looked at him after maybe the Bangladesh [Premier] league (in November). He would have gone on some Lions and from there seen what happened,” Morgan quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

As per the ICC regulations, any player who moves to a particular country after his 18th birthday needs to finish a residency period of four years. However, ECB had increased the period to seven years back in 2012.

Archer, who grabbed the attention of the cricketing fraternity with his fast and accurate bowling in BBL 2017-18 for Hobart Hurricanes, was roped in by Rajasthan Royals during the IPL auction in January 2018. Archer had entered into the auction with a base price of INR 40 lakhs and the inaugural IPL champions secured him by spending a whopping amount of 7.20 crores. He was troubled by injury in the IPL.  Nonetheless, the 23-year-old showed glimpses of his talent on several occasions while bowling in the death-overs.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 10 Jun, 2018

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