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Rob Key has played down concerns England are rushing Jofra Archer back into Test cricket — but admits he may have to wait a game before he is unleashed on India.
Archer, who hasn’t appeared in a Test since February 2021, is part of England’s 15-man squad for Wednesday’s second Rothesay Test at Edgbaston, having successfully come through 18 overs for Sussex in their recent championship game against Durham.
His inclusion prompted Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace to question the wisdom of pitching him straight into a Test match, and Key admitted Archer may simply train with his team-mates in Birmingham before joining up with his county for the last two days of their championship match against Warwickshire at Hove.
He would then be in line to play the third Test against India at Lord’s, starting on July 10.
Key, England’s managing director, stressed the importance of not ‘flogging’ Archer, now 30, when he does make his return.
‘Like for any fast bowler, you want to get to the stage where they’re able to impact the game,’ he said.
Jofra Archer recently returned to red-ball action with Sussex, bowling 18 overs against Durham
England chief Rob Key admits that they will have to manage Archer's workload very carefully
Joe Root (left) celebrates with Jamie Smith after England's victory at Headingley on Tuesday
‘These are impact players. You don’t want them doing other roles. You’ve got to be smart with how you use them so they can help you win a game? I think he’ll get better and better throughout the Test series and in the games he plays, whenever that may be.’
And he insisted England had erred on the side of caution during Archer’s painstaking rehab from multiple elbow surgery.
‘We’ve gone slower than we could have done,’ he said at an event staged by Test sponsors Rothesay.
‘The temptation would have been to bring him back sooner. But actually we’ve gone down this road to make sure we’re in this position where we think he’ll be able to play.’
