Despite being acquired by the Mumbai Indians for a substantial INR 8 crore in the 2022 IPL, Archer was released by the franchise last week.Notably, his name is absent from the list of players registered for theIPL auction scheduled for December 19 in Dubai.
The 28-year-old cricketer, hailing from Barbados, has been grappling with multiple injuries, with a recurrence of an elbow stress fracture during the IPL in May, leaving him inactive in professional cricket since then and causing him to also miss the ODI World Cup.
“… the ECB believes that it will be easier to manage Archer’s comeback if he is in the UK in April and May under its supervision than if he is in India on the books of an IPL team looking to get their money’s worth from him,” ESPNCricinfo reported.
According to the report, Jofra Archer has inked a fresh two-year deal with the ECB. In preparation for the T20 World Cup scheduled in the West Indies and the United States from June 4 next year, the board has “opted to take as much control over Archer as possible.”
Although Archer had initially traveled to India for the World Cup, he cut short his stay and returned to the UK within a week due to elbow discomfort. The ECB is optimistic about having the pace bowler as a crucial member of England’s squad for the T20 World Cup.
“We take that bet with him that we want him back fit and able to play for England, because of the upside,” former England opener and current managing director (men’s cricket) Robert Key had said last month.
“You start looking at things like the Ashes in two years, the T20 World Cup… Jofra adds so much to that,” he had said back then.
A total of 34 English players, such as Harry Brook, Adil Rashid and Chris Woakes, have submitted their names for the upcoming IPL auction.
Meanwhile, players like Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Jason Roy, Mark Wood, Will Jacks and Reece Topley have been retained by their respective franchises.
Test captain Ben Stokes, currently undergoing rehabilitation following left knee surgery, and Joe Root have chosen not to participate in the lucrative league.
(With PTI inputs)
