LONDON – West Indians are expected to have mixed feelings today with exciting Barbadianborn fast bowler Jofra Archer expected to make his World Cup debut for his adopted country, England, who will be hunting their first World Cup title.
With just three one-day internationals under his belt heading into cricket’s biggest showpiece, Archer is likely to find himself in the final XI when favourites England take on South Africa in the ICC World Cup opener before a full house at the historic Oval.
However, the unflappable 24-year-old said he was relaxed heading into the tournament.
“You can’t say for certain
today. (GP) what’s going to come because it’s cricket. It’s an unknown really. I’m just going in with an open mind. Sometimes you feel the pressure. It’s good. You know you’re human. Some people might deal with it in their own way,” the former West Indies Under-19 pacer said.
Archer, who hails from the parish of St Philip and attended the Hilda Skeene and Christ Church Foundation schools before relocating to England, has played more T20 cricket than he has the 50-overs format, but does not believe this leaves him at a disadvantage.
“For me nothing has changed, I still have to do the same things,. I need to hit the top of off and bowl as straight as possible,” he explained.
“Then at the back [end] there is the change of pace and yorkers so for me I’ve got a dream gig bowling the same thing in both formats. You just get more opportunity to bowl [in ODIs].
“Sometimes [in T20] if I get in the middle of a good spell, I know I can only bowl 24 balls. Here, if you’re in a good spell, you can end up taking four, five or six wickets. I quite enjoy 50over cricket as it gives you more opportunities to get wickets.”
Rested for most of the fivematch series against Pakistan, it means Archer has bowled a mere 22 overs in ODIs before the World Cup, one of the few regrets he has.
“I think that would have been good [to] double what I’ve done. If I’d had two more games then hopefully I would have bowled my full quota,” he said.
“I wish I had bowled a few more overs. I’ve bowled about 20 overs in the last month in a match situation which isn’t really ideal.” (CMC/EZS)
JOFRA ARCHER is poised to make his World Cup debut for England,
