Wisden

The independent voice of cricket

LIVE SCORES
England v West Indies

Giles: Archer’s bio-secure protocol breach could have cost ECB ‘millions of pounds’

by Wisden Staff 2 minute read

Ashley Giles, the managing director of England’s men’s cricket teams, has stated that Jofra Archer‘s breach of the bio-secure bubble ahead of the second Test against West Indies could have cost the ECB “tens of millions of pounds”.

The England pacer was found guilty of breaking the bio-secure bubble to take a detour to his home in Brighton while the team was travelling to Manchester, and was subsequently excluded from the squad for the second Test.

Giles believes that the breach could have led to a disaster and cost the ECB millions of pounds, before adding that the bowler will face a disciplinary hearing.

“This could have been a disaster,” Giles said. “The ripple effect from this small act could have cost us tens of millions of pounds. The potential knock-on effect I don’t think Jofra could have understood. We made it clear what we expected but maybe he did not quite understand.

“There has to be a consequence to every action and there will be a process we go through. There will be a disciplinary process. That is as much as I want to say on that as it is an employment matter.”

Giles also clarified that Archer’s case isn’t similar to that of Alex Hales, saying that “this is the first issue” he has had with the bowler since being appointed as the managing director of England’s men’s teams in 2018.

“That balance with support is equally important in this case,” he said. “We have all made mistakes. Jofra will learn from this. We will support him and move on. I don’t think trust is something lost or gained over one incident. Jofra has been around in this team as long as I have. This is the first issue I have had with him. They [Archer and Hales] are different in that.

“Jofra has been a very good addition to this team. He is a fine young man, incredibly polite, works hard and is a great asset to this team. On this occasion, he got it wrong.”

Have Your Say

Become a Wisden member

  • Exclusive offers and competitions
  • Money-can’t-buy experiences
  • Join the Wisden community
  • Sign up for free
LEARN MORE
Latest magazine

Get the magazine

12 Issues for just £39.99

SUBSCRIBE