England Test captain Joe Root says expectation must not be too high on Jofra Archer despite his sensational summer. He burst onto the scene in the ODI Cricket World Cup earlier this summer and took 20 wickets on the way to England winning the tournament for the first time against New Zealand.
Then, he was selected for this summer’s Ashes squad and played in every Test bar the first one. His regular 90mph deliveries caused huge problem for the Australian batting line up with even Steve Smith – the batsman of the tournament – feeling the scourge of Archer.
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A bouncer from the 24-year-old hit Smith on the head and he was ruled out the third Test at Headingley with concussion. Archer took 22 wickets during his four Ashes Tests, including six in the final one at The Oval, and Root says his “special” talent must be looked after. “When I faced him in the nets against the red ball it was pretty clear he’d be something special,” Root said of Archer.
“At times he might not always bowl at 90mph, but he will still go at 2.5 an over and create chances. “Making sure we don’t expect him to average 12 over the next two-and-a-half years is important, but knowing he’s got that ability to turn a game on his own is exciting. “One thing we can expect is he’s going entertain and he’s going to make things happen.”
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