Jofra Archer has more natural ability than any other current player, according to his friend and teammate Chris Jordan – who believes England should do everything they can to get the fast-bowling all-rounder in their 2019 World Cup team.
To find out where Archer places in our list of the 50 best young men’s players on the planet, pick up a copy of issue 10 of Wisden Cricket Monthly
Jordan said: “I’ve not seen anyone with as much natural ability” as Archer, 23, who features in Wisden Cricket Monthly’s list of the 50 best young players in the world.
“The first time I saw Jofra was in Barbados back in 2012,” Jordan, who now plays with Archer at Sussex, told WCM’s August issue. “He was on the Barbados Under 17 programme at the time and he used to bowl at us in the nets. I remember facing him for the first time and Shai Hope, the West Indies international, was keeping wicket. He came up to me and said, ‘This guy is actually a lot quicker than you think, his run-up and approach can trick you’. I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, no worries’ and didn’t think much of it. He ambled in for his first ball and gave me a quick bouncer, and had it been on target I’d have been easily cleaned up. Shai came up to me, had a little giggle and said, ‘I told you so’.”
England would be mad not to do everything they can to get him into their one-day side, Jordan said.
“If there is an opportunity to get Jofra in the England set-up before the World Cup then I think it’s something that should be jumped at because he’ll only add to the team and make it stronger, not just from a bowling point of view but also with the bat and in the field. He’s a real asset to any team lucky enough to have him.”
