England Test stalwart Stuart Broad believes Jofra Archer will have a part to play for certain when the Ashes series against Australia gets underway later in the summer.
All eyes are currently fixed on whether the Barbados-born Archer will find a place in England’s final 15-man squad for the upcoming 2019 ICC World Cup after the pacer was handed his ODI debut against Ireland recently.
While calls for Archer’s potential World Cup inclusion continues to gather momentum, Broad feels Archer will also be a great asset for England to have in their quest to regain the Ashes urn.
“I can’t see a way that Jofra doesn’t play some sort of role in that Ashes series,” Broad was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“He has the rhythm, the style, the pace. He generates pace with ease, which is always exciting as a fast bowler. He has everything you would want in a fast bowler to succeed at the top level.
Archer has earned two ODI caps since becoming eligible for England.
“He’s got the character to play at the top level. I’ve seen him run in all day when things don’t quite go his way, which is a good sign. I hope he’s in front of The Oval pavilion lifting the Ashes urn come September because he’s a very exciting cricketer.”
Broad’s own Test place could be under threat should Archer get an Ashes call up but the 32-year-old believes England’s gruelling schedule in the coming months will result in plenty of rotation among the pacers.
“There is a huge amount of cricket from that Ireland Test on July 24 to the middle of September and the end of the Ashes,” Broad stated.
“So you’re going to need a battery of fast bowers. The likes of Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Archer – all members of the ODI squad at present – are all potentially going to play a lot of cricket over the next two months leading into a ridiculous amount of cricket in the period after that.
“We’ll need a rotation of bowlers.”
Archer has so far played one T20I and two ODIs since becoming eligible to represent England.