Strauss gushes over Archer

In Jofra Archer, England have not only discovered a rapid and clinical seamer, but their “most exciting bowler” in at least 25 years.

That glowing endorsement comes from the respected mouth of one of the great England captains: Andrew Strauss. Given Archer’s stature in the England team and his reputation worldwide, it is easy to forget he is just five months into an international career that could, if all goes well, last a decade. 42 wickets across the World Cup and Ashes was certainly not a bad way to start, and Strauss cannot remember the last time he was as excited about an English bowler.

Andrew Strauss

“Jofra is an incredibly special talent,” the former England captain and opening batsman told Metro.co.uk. “He’s the most talented English bowler I’ve seen in the last 25 years, probably even longer than that. You have to go back a long way before you see as exciting an English bowler.

“But he’s also young and learning his way in the game and he’s got to understand that the secret is not performing but performing consistently. He has a lot of challenges ahead of him. This winter [when England tour New Zealand and South Africa] he will be tested in different conditions, for example. But he’s got incredible raw talent and seems like a very level-headed guy who just loves being in a pressure-cooker environment. He ticks a lot of boxes.”

The Barbados-born Archer made his international debut in May, shortly after becoming eligible to represent England. Capable of bowling in excess of 95mph and with a bag of tricks up his sleeve, the 24-year-old has already established himself as a superstar in all formats.

England fans were treated to a number of eye-opening spells this summer and an electric burst in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s – when he hit Steve Smith twice and caused the Australia batsman concussion – was one of the highlights. Archer claimed two five-wicket hauls during the Ashes but, in a summer in which he played four Tests and 15 one-day matches, unsurprisingly found it difficult to reach the thrilling heights witnessed at Lord’s in every spell.

Managing Archer’s workload over the next few years may prove difficult, but Strauss said that task would be less daunting away from Ashes cricket.

“Obviously it’s going to be a real challenge because he’s going to be playing across the formats,” Strauss said. “Every time he bowls we want him fresh and quick and accurate. You can’t have all of those things. Managing his schedule is going to be important. But his first Test series was an Ashes series that was naturally all about winning.

“From now on, hopefully our bowling attack can be a little better resourced and with James Anderson coming back and a few new guys coming through, maybe we can find a balance where he plays in the majority of the games, but not all of them,” Strauss said.