“Archer’s focus will be playing for England”
England quick Jofra Archer is unlikely to be involved in this year’s IPL after the ECB offered an update on his elbow injury.
Following an MRI scan this week, Archer “is progressing as expected”, according to the ECB, after he sustained a stress fracture to his right elbow in January during England’s tour of South Africa, ruling him out of the March tour of Sri Lanka. Archer will undergo another scan in mid-April “before a return to competitive cricket”.
The statement from the ECB added that “Archer’s focus will be playing for England”, beginning with their Test series with West Indies in June. He will therefore play in the County Championship in May for Sussex “to ensure his preparation is optimal for Test cricket”.
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Speaking to Sussex’s website on Thursday, Archer said he had his “fingers crossed” in regards to featuring in this year’s IPL, despite the ECB ruling out his involvement last month. But the ECB’s statement on Saturday made no mention of Archer’s IPL commitments and alongside his scan in April and return to Championship cricket in May, it appears Rajasthan Royals will be without his services; the 2020 IPL runs from March 29 to May 24.
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For the next two weeks Archer will continue to progress to a full gym programme and continued running work. He will return to bowling towards the end of March under the supervision of England Young Lions coach Jon Lewis and Sussex bowling coach James Kirtley.
