Earlier this month, England speedster Jofra Archer got ruled out of all cricket for the rest of the year following a recurrence of a stress fracture in his right elbow.
As a result, Archer won’t be able to take part in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE and the subsequent Ashes series Down Under. Moreover, some cricket pundits have raised doubts over his future in the longest format of the game.
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Amid the speculations, Archer on Wednesday (August 25) said his best years as a Test cricketer are ahead of him.
"When I got the news that I'd be out for the rest of 2021 because I had suffered another stress fracture in my elbow, it was pretty tough to take. But I've always been of the view that everything happens for a reason, and the injury doesn't change the way I look at my career,” Jofra wrote in a column for Britain's Daily Mail newspaper.
"I've said many times before that Test cricket is the most important format to me and nothing has changed in that respect. It's frustrating to be sitting out an important series against India, as well as not being able to make the trip to Australia this winter - not to mention the Twenty20 World Cup in the UAE.
"If I do end up with another stress fracture, I may have a different view on things as regards to my future. But for the moment, I'm still only 26 and I think my best years as a Test cricketer are ahead of me.
"The reason I had an operation in May was because I wanted to sort out the problem once and for all. I don't want this thing hanging over me. I want to be out there again, taking wickets and helping win games for England," he further added.
The Barbados-born Archer is eyeing a return to the five-day format during next year's tour of the West Indies.
"I'm trying to be cautious about when I make my comeback, but I guess there's a chance I'll be ready in time for England's three-Test series against West Indies in the Caribbean in March," he said.
"But I can't make any promises, and I'll be seeing a specialist soon about the elbow."
Having made his debut during the 2019 Ashes, Jofra Archer has represented England in 13 Tests so far, claiming 42 wickets at an average of 31.04 with three five-wicket hauls.
