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Hussain: Missing one Test is ‘enough punishment’ for Jofra Archer

by Wisden Staff 2 minute read

Nasser Hussain feels that a one-Test exclusion is “enough punishment’ for Jofra Archer, who is currently missing the second Test against West Indies for breaching bio-secure protocols.

The ECB released a statement announcing Archer’s exclusion hours before the commencement of the second Test at Emirates Old Trafford, following which it was confirmed that the pacer took a detour to his home in Brighton while the rest of the team was on its way to Manchester.

Archer will now face an ECB disciplinary hearing but Hussain felt missing one match is “enough punishment” for the pacer, who was nearing his best in the second innings of Southampton Test.

“Michael Holding made a good point at the start of Sky’s programme yesterday,” Hussain wrote in his column for the Daily Mail. “Should the England team be travelling together on a coach between matches? At least they would then know nobody is breaking the rules.

“It was lucky Archer’s detour via Hove emerged on Wednesday night because it would have been an awful lot worse if England had not realised he had done this until, say, two days into the match. What would have happened then?

“It really was brilliant to see Jofra back to somewhere near his best in the second innings of the first Test. He has missed so much cricket and it would have been lovely to see him follow that up here at Old Trafford. But the right decision was made. And I think missing this Test is enough punishment.

“Archer knows he got it wrong and it will be pretty miserable having to stay in his room for five days and have two more Covid tests before he is allowed back into the group. Once this game is over and providing he comes back clear from those tests, we should all move on with a clean slate.”

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